Terrorist alert in Lima

On my way home from school yesterday I came across a really interesting scene.  After getting on my usual bus, knowing the route like the back of my hand now, the usually reliable little micro took a strange detour.  Yikes! I almost immediately started to panic.  A very kind woman beside me, seeing my probably obvious confusion, explained that the usual route was closed and that 'something serious' was going on!  Ominous words indeed!


Sure enough, as we made our way through the city I noticed a lot of police presence - they were everywhere and all heavily armed.  There was also a police helicopter circling over the city and police snipers on rooftops. So, being a little curious by now, I turned to the lady and asked what was happening.
Apparently an infamous terrorist nicknamed "comrade Artemio", the last leader of the Peruvian terrorist group 'The Shining Path' (el sendero luminoso) was being transferred from a police hospital to a high security prison.  The route his entourage was to take was lined with anti-terrorism police officers while people shouted "Murderer, murderer!"  I watched all this from the relative safety of the bus.


The Shining Path is a guerrilla insurgent organisation in Peru.  It began in the city of Arequipa in the south of the country.  Over the years it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 70,000 Peruvians many of whom were poor rural people from the sierra or the jungle who opposed their ideals.  The torture, kidnap and murder that marked the tyrannical rule of the Shining Path spanned two decades.  The remnants have fought on in a few remote jungle regions of the Peruvian amazon dominated by the cocaine trade.  The group is now involved in much drug related violence and illegal drug smuggling.


With the capture of the last remaining leader of the group hopefully these awful reminders of Peru's dark and disturbing past will finally be put to rest and this country can look forward to a bright and safe future.


P.s. No photos today, I knew better than to start pointing a camera at anti-terrorism police!

Beauty amongst the bustle

This was the view from the window this evening. I didn't even notice its beauty until it was almost too late. I grabbed my camera before the sun sank beneath the horizon. I've heard that Lima is well known for its stunning sunsets and on a night like tonight it's a real privilege and pleasure to be here. Just 10 minutes later everything was pitch black. Night falls quickly on the equator!

It made me think how many other beautiful little things we miss, little pleasures we deny ourselves like a beautiful sunset because we're too busy to notice.  Although there's a lot that's ugly about this world there is also so much beauty.  The hand of its creator is seen everyday in many ways.  I've made up my mind to take things more slowly and savour all the little pleasures of my stay in South America.

Not your average toffee

I just thought I'd share an interesting experience I had today. As we were sitting chatting over our coffees this morning one of the ladies handed me a toffee. 'Gracias Señora' says I as I unwrap it and pop it into my mouth. It's only then I noticed the wrapper...coca toffee! I googled it as soon as I got home and as I suspected, it's made with ground coca leaves (the same leaves used to make cocaine).

Just as I was beginning to wonder what kind of place this was, I was assured its perfectly legal and even encouraged for treating things like altitude sickness, headaches and dizziness. Well, I must admit its not the nicest toffee I've ever had but I report no ill effects - thankfully! Pictures below to prove it.

Coca leaves are not only used for toffees but also teas.

New places, new faces

Today was an exciting day, my first day at Colegio San Andres! Colegio San Andres is an Anglo-Peruvian school which was originally set up by a Scottish missionary nearly a hundred years ago.  The school still has a Scottish headmaster and still follows its founding principles.  The school seeks to provide an education for Lima's children which is based upon Bible teaching and the christian faith.  Most of the staff are Christians.  Most of the children are from catholic backgrounds.

Today, I met lots of lovely people whose names I'll never be able to remember. Everyone is really friendly, I think I'm going to like it here. The children aren't here yet except the new ones starting this year who have to complete a week of extra classes and sit exams to prove their levels. I've been helping with this "nivelacion".

This afternoon was full of meetings: introducing new staff, timetables, school rules etc. I didn't follow everything and its been really hot again so I'm now a little bit fed up!

Also Megan left for Moyobamba today which is a little sad since I'd got used to having her around and doing things together. I'm also a little bit jealous since apparently its "a paradise" and much smaller than noisy and chaotic Lima.  Oh well, as the our heavenly Father says: "I know the plans I have for you" although at times I find it difficult to let go and let God work even though I know I have so little control over what's happening here.

The move

This morning myself and Megan went to the Inca markets to do some souvenir shopping. There's a wonderful selection of Peruvian souvenirs there - everything from Alpaca wool scarves to traditional pan pipes and other instruments to brightly decorated mats and wall hangings and of course lots of cuddly souvenir llamas which were hard to resist! Although I managed not to spend any money today I know I'll be back sometime soon!

Later on I said goodbye to the Arevalos and took a taxi to Diana's flat where I'll be living for the rest of my time in Lima. She lives on the 7th floor of a nice apartment block and has a boy called Daniel (14). She is a lovely christian lady who is Clive Bailey's secretary in the school. I spent the morning unpacking and we spent the afternoon chilling out and watching a film whose name I can't remember but it was nice to just settle in and relax a bit. 

Although it was very hard to say goodbye to the family I'd got to know and care for so much over the last few weeks, I know I am very fortunate that God has provided for me thus far and I pray He'll continue to do so.

My view! Not exactly spectacular but its interesting none the less.

With my own stuff in the room, it felt a little more like home.

Reminders of home

It was the last day of the Bible club today and we said a fond farewell to all the children who we'd got to know over the week. In the afternoon I headed out to an English club that is run by Calvary chapel for learners of English. The students are mostly uni students or business men wanting to improve their language skills. We had a few interesting discussion topics and everyone's English is really good, another reminder that I should get the Spanish grammar books out sometime soon...

On the way home I popped into an American friend, Melinda's, for a cuppa.  There's not much to remind me of home here so a nice cup of tea with a friend is so familiar and comforting!

Perhaps not very exciting news for anyone else but myself and Megan went to Starbucks tonight! There's one just down the road from where we're staying and it was nice to have something else that reminded me of home - my caffe latte. When you step into Starbucks here its almost as if you're stepping back into the UK for a little while...

Fish and chips!

The Arevalos have a Bible holiday club all this week at which I'm helping out. We have a nice little group of about 20 kids who are so enthusiastic in everything they do from playing football to listening to the Bible stories. Its a real pleasure being around them.  

Today, we baked and decorated cookies, played football, sung and listened to a great Bible story about Jesus healing the paralytic, ran around and collapsed with exhaustion in the mid afternoon heat (perhaps that was just me, I'm still getting used to these temperatures). I think the camp is going really well! Everyone is enjoying themselves and the children have the chance to hear about the Bible too which is the most important thing.

I should mention that the Bible club is being held in a state run school.  In Peru there are both state and private schools.  Anyone with any money to spare tends to send their children to a private school.  State schools tend to be under resourced and over subscribed, teachers are paid very little and the level of education in many schools is not great.  As a result, children in state schools don't get the same chances.  It was for this reason that this Bible camp in this particular school has been such a blessing. These are children who may never have heard anything about the Bible before and who have little opportunities to achieve yet they have been so enthusiastic about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Afterwards we all headed to the cricket club for a swim.We met some more friends of the Arevalos there and had quite a party! The water was cool and inviting after the heat of the streets of Lima this morning. 


 Lunch was a bit of a special affair...6000 miles away from Scotland, we all sat by the pool and had fish and chips! It reminded so much me of the times myself and Dad sat on the pier and ate our fish supper en route home from a parents evening or a choir practise.

The rest of the day was spend lazily sunbathing and swimming till the fog descended and sent us all packing, tired and a more then a little sun burnt, home.

"Consider the flowers of the field..."

"Consider the flowers of the field, they neither labour nor spin but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these". Matthew 6:28

I was reminded of this verse today as I sat admiring the colours of the flowers here in the garden. We had a day off from school yesterday which was really nice. I have to admit I was getting a little tired of sitting trying to understand what everyone was saying all the time and its been really hot these past few days too - too hot for a Scottish lassie like me!

The Arevalos had American friends over this morning for brunch. We had a lovely spread of fruit, tea, toast, bacon, eggs and pancakes with syrup! The kids were given a paddling pool as a present too and so we spent the rest of the day filling it up. They had a great time splashing about while I took some photos and tried (unsuccessfully) not to get soaked by Franchie!

Their back garden is beautiful and its such a pleasure just sitting out in the sun or at night when its cooler, reading and watching the birds. I've not found any spiders yet - for that I'm really thankful!

Some exotic looking flower

Garden complete with new paddling pool

Another exotic looking flower perhaps an orchid?