Home at last

Our Aventura in Piura is over. We arrived back in the U.S.A. in August and are now doing our usual school / retirement thing in The Dalles once again.

We did indeed make it to the Galapagos Islands, where we had a wonderful 3-day cruise with several Swedes, some Poles, a Colombian, and even some Ecuadorians, including a fine, friendly and professional crew. We saw the famous blue-footed boobies who lived up to their name as well as many sea lions, sea turtles, albatrosses engaging in love dances and caring for their chicks, and far too many black-red-green iguanas, and a wonderful colony of flamingos. None of the animals showed the slightest fear of humans. We were cautioned to treat them with the utmost respect. One sea lion brushed my arm and swam alongside me in the surf, another swam circles around Leroy as he snorkeled.

We came home via Guayaquil, which we really enjoyed. The weather was nice and warm but not too hot. We were very impressed with the terrific malecón, the waterfront walking-eating-shopping-sightseeing area that runs for perhaps a mile or more along the estuary. I enjoyed watching the tide change—you see what looks like a river flowing one way, then later, it changes direction. A sailing vessel called Henry Morgan was moored next to the McDonald’s, named after one of my putative ancestors.

Back in Piura, we spent our last days mostly packing, giving things away and saying good bye. We went to the bus station to bid farewell to Rob and Maureen, then Katia and her daughter did the same for us a couple of days later. A wonderful custom!

Once in Lima, we spent time repacking 4 big suitcases and a box of books into 4 big suitcases and horribly heavy carry-on bags, since the airline announced an “embargo” on any extra luggage. We also spent a few hours at the travel agency, waiting for them to finally refund our money for the fog-cancelled trip to La Paz, Bolivia, on May 1. All’s well that ends well. The previous day we had dinner with Jorge and family, who had just returned to Lima from the states. They were planning to stay there a few more days before heading back to Piura. It was great to see them and compare notes on our respective adventures.

Finally home, we spent a few days getting settled, then zipped off to California for the family reunion. It was great! Nearly everyone showed up and we had a great time. Then a few of us headed for Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. I had organized this in a burst of mountain homesickness from Peru. It was wonderful to see the granite, breathe the mountain air and just be in the mountains after a full year on a hot coastal plain.

School did start; I was mostly ready. I am teaching only halftime this year, getting ready to retire next year. We really want to go live in Ashland again, so that’s the plan. School here is pretty easy after Peru. I have Spanish 1, Spanish 2 and Spanish for Native Speakers 2. So, there’s variety but not too much work. Mornings are for school, afternoons I can relax, exercise, read or do various other projects. I like it just fine.

Thanks to all of you who read this blog. We really appreciated your comments--it can get kind of lonely in a foreign country. You have our e-mails; please keep in touch. Adventures can happen anywhere, even in The Dalles!