More about life in Chachapoyas and returning to Cusco

One day while Hildegaard was traveling again, I switched on the hot water and not only did all the lights flicker, but all the power went out! I learned from my last experience with being locked out, to get her cell phone number for emergencies. I dialed her number but the call would not go through; she was apparently out of range. So, I was left on my own again, not knowing when she would return…maybe a few hours, a day or two? I had my flashlight for when it got dark and could boil water on the stove to make hot water and take a “spit bath” for the time being. Things were not THAT bad…

A few days later, Hildegaard and her mother are back and the same “electrician” supposedly has repaired the on/off switch so the power will not go out again. Things are good for awhile and then one day I turn the switch on and POW! No power again! And of course, Hildegaard is away again and I cannot get through on her phone, AGAIN! Hildegaard’s mother and father show up a few days later and they find out right away there is no power again. This time though, it is not the dangerous wiring, but something within the whole building and it would have to be totally rewired. Little did I know, that the process would take almost 2 weeks! So for 2 weeks, I had to use flashlights and candles after the sun went down and had to take spit baths! This was camping now…!

Night life in Chacha 

At Taberna, a local bar. Secy of school(left), teachers, and Gregory(right)

Fidel, owner of ILC(black shirt) dancing at La Reina disco

Gregory and me early in the evening...

Teaching at ILC was a unique experience but one that I would not like to repeat. The very first day the teachers were asked to meet at the school to be given their teaching books and their class schedules. We were soon told that the printer was malfunctioning and that we needed to wait a bit. Well the “bit” turned out to be about 3 hours. This was not a good way to start! I was to have 3 classes/day and a private English student. My first  class was a group of 12 teenagers aged 13. This was going to be a challenge, I knew so I had to prepare very well! They turned out to be my favorite group; it was a lot of fun and really kept me on my toes! And I came to find out that it was actually easier to teach a larger group than just 2 or 3 students because I could get them to work in pairs and do activities.

The facility was the ground floor and the 2^nd floor of a home and the owners lived on the 3^rd floor. The plumbing was horrible as were the acoustics. Walls had been put up to make separate classrooms and they were paper thin so it was very noisy. The equipment like CD players were sometimes in the rooms and sometimes not so you never knew what to expect. Additionally, the desk/chair combos were for children and really not suited for adults to sit in. There were no tables with chairs which is usually the set up for ESL classrooms. The teaching books were so old, many were falling apart and the student books were in short supply so many students had only photo copies of books. 

 We received our “stipend” at the end of the month for the teaching we had done that month so at the end of August, we were paid. 3 of us teachers were leaving at the end of September and when time came to be paid, we were given checks that were 2 weeks post dated. Fidel told us that he was short of funds and was getting money from the government in a few weeks. There was really nothing we could do but hope that the check would be good later. The day I was supposed to cash the check, Fidel called me to say he still did not have the money and to please wait a little longer. I went to the bank on 3 separate occasions and each time the check was still NSF! To date, we have still not been paid for the month of September. Our TEFL instructor had mentioned that the schools in Peru were famous for not paying their teachers, but I didn’t think it would happen to me at my 1^st job! I believe Fidel used the money for start up costs at a bar he was opening. I do not have much respect for him for the way he ran the school, etc.

We left the same way that we came to Chachapoyas: by bus. But this time, I decided to take the 24 hour bus to Lima since Lora and Charlie were also going so I would have company. Just as Fidel and Gregory had met me on my arrival, they also were there to see us off. Gregory jokes about it and says that they want to make sure that their teachers are actually leaving...!?
The bus left early in the morning and about 1/2 hour into the trip, we stopped for breakfast which was a surprise to me! A nice surprise since we were hungry! It turned out to be a very pleasant ride and a great way to travel by seeing all the little towns and villages along the road. We arrived in Lima early the next morning and I stayed in Miraflores(nice, clean, safe area near the beach) for a few nights and just enjoyed a big, clean bathroom with hot water, a bathtub,  a shower, and a hairdryer! And a TV! I had not seen a TV the entire time in Chachapoyas...
I met Charlie and Lora at a restaurant that evening for pisco sours and dinner and the next day I was sick, sick, sick! I do not ever remember being that sick! All night I was sick and I remember thinking that if things didn't improve by morning, I would have to seek out some medical attention. Thankfully, I stopped being sick, but could hardly move for the next few days. I had to delay my trip back to Cusco because I was too sick to travel.


I booked a flight back to Cusco where I would have a teaching job at a little school by the name of Speak Easy. I had met the owners of the school while I was there during June and July since I was taking private Spanish classes from Enny, one of the owners. At the time I was taking my lessons, I had no idea that she was an owner. I just thought that she was a very nice, very warm and friendly Peruvian giving me Spanish lessons! One day during our lesson we were discussing what we would be doing on the weekend, and she told me that she was going to play tennis. I got very excited and asked her where did she play? She asked me if I wanted to play with her and I jumped at the opportunity! We played many times together at her tennis club: Club International, on clay courts and sometimes her husband would join us. I had made it known that I was looking for a job teaching english and Daniel one day offered me a job. So at the end of September, I started a 5 month teaching job at their school. The following pictures are some of my classes and students:

My advanced class

My Basic 1 class

My Pre-Int class: 4 men ages 18-25

I found a 1 bdrm apt to rent for $280/mo that was fully furnished and by Peruvian standards it was considered luxury; although my stove was a 2 burner camping stove attached to a 5 gallon propane tank, the kitchen sink had only cold water, no washing machine, and no central heat. But I had hot water in the shower, a TV, and a small refrigerator! This was luxury compared to Chachapoyas! The school was just a short 20 minute walk away...

I lived across the street from the Mercado Vigen Asunta and this is were I bought most of my food. Yes, even the chicken that was not refrigerated. And I was never sick for the 7 months I spent in Cusco.

View from my kitchen window of men loading sacks of potatoes on their backs into the bed of trucks. They did this all day long!