More Notes on Peru:

My creative work over these last few weeks seems to be focused on wedding alterations, teaching and some basic strategic planning for the work in Peru. Nothing visual to show yet. So, I decided to post more pictures of Trujillo, Peru.

These are fishing rafts known as Caballitos (little horses). They are found in the seaside village of Huanchaco and made of the tortura reeds which are found in this area.

You can actually watch the locals ride these out into the waves.
Unlike the ones you see at Lake Titicaca they have a flat bottom and are solid reed.

All in a row I couldn't help but think they look like a line up of dwarf hats.

These are pictures were taken from the road of Chan Chan,

the ancient Chimu' kingdom. If you look here you can see some detailed photos of the area.

There it sits eroding away in the wind. It is amazing how much still exists considering it's age dating back to 700-1400 ad. But this area has very little rainfall, about 1" per year and most of that is concentrated in a fog like mist. So the mud walls disappearing have done so slowly over the last 600 years.

Show what you create blog party

I collect and combine fibers, colors and textures all together.

My tools of choice are a sewing machine
and a pair of scissors.

I call myself a designer/artist.
The designer part seems to always win out.
When I create I seem to always have an end product in mind.

When I am in a practical mood it becomes clothing items.

Sometimes it becomes fashion accessories.

At times it becomes goofy gift stuff.



And sometimes it becomes goofy home stuff.

But in the end it is always stuff on stuff, color on color and texture on texture.
A little paint, thread, glue, fabric, yarn and glitter, all done while running with scissors.
Thank you, Vintage Bella Studio for hosting a fun blog party.

Notes on Peru: Barrio's

Peru, just out of communism is still struggling as a country to pull its people out of sever poverty. Jobs are being created but not quick enough.

An organization that is at work there is
Project New Hope International.
One of the best days of my trip was to go into one of the barrios with two of the organizations directors.
A barrio is referred to as a district or community of people that are living on top of landfill areas in the outskirts of the town.

How the barrio system works in Trujillo is sad yet hopeful.
The city is ever expanding from the center out. If you draw imaginary concentric circles around the city's core you eventually come upon a 7th, 6th, 5th, generation barrio, all the way to the outskirts which would be considered the 1st.
These are pictures of a first generation barrio.

The family, usually women and children have come out of the Andean mountains in hopes of finding work in the city. The government has set up a system where a small (approx 15'x15') plot of land is given to them.
The concept is like homesteading, you develop your home and you get to stay.

The houses are created out of anything found; cardboard, plastic, twin, reed.

Eventually they begin adding adobe brick, maybe a found window, a plywood door and a small plant out front to beautify their home.

Over time the homes being to grow into each other. Businesses are created by entrepreneurial spirits and a community is formed.
The first year the government drives by with a water truck once a week and families collect water in whatever they have gleaned.

The second year, a community water station is built.
Third year, electricity is dropped in and a few main roads are paved.

Fourth fifth, and sixth years more roads are paved, trees planted and a park is created.


Now the barrio has begun to blend the boundary's and has become a part of the ever growing city.

The people that I met were wonderful. Cheerful, hopeful, and beautiful. They proudly shared their homes and posed for photos.
Kids were as kids are, giggly, playful and happy.

So, now I'm working on a project to work with the organization to bring some textile jobs to these mothers.
Seeing all these photos again, just reinforces how much I want to go back!

Notes on Peru:

The colors and textures of Peru.

Notes on Peru:

I finally dumped my photos of Peru onto my computer.
Rather than making you see all my home photos at once, I've decided to stretch them over a few posts.

This is Lima, Peru.
It is the fourth largest city in Latin America, boasting a staggering 8,442,00.
The architecture was fascinating. Most of the governmental buildings seem to represent the early Spanish colonial style.

Balconies jetting out from the buildings were everywhere. The word is that there are upwards of 1600 in the city. In order to maintain these works of art, the city has invited individuals and companies to adopt them. I was told that they were made from cedar wood.

This is the Archbishop's Palace.

This is the city square, Plaza de Armas of Lima where most of the governmental buildings are located. It is considered the birthplace of Lima in 1535.

Approaching the Basilica Cathedral of Lima. A Roman Catholic cathedral.

The Basilica Cathedral of Lima
That was the sightseeing tour.

Now off to the real reason we were there.
We headed to the outskirts of town.

To the area our driver informed us, he was taking the back way because it was unsafe for him to drive us through the area.

When we approached wall with 901 scratched into the adobe and Carlos our driver said," We're here". The first thought that came to mind was, I saw this movie and it didn't have a very good ending!

He gets out of the car, approaches the large metal door and knocks on it. A little peep door opens and I can hear two men speaking Spanish back and forth. Carlos returns to the car and the metal door is rolled open.

We drive in slowly, with men watching us from all sides. Skinny dogs running around, a large trash heap, run down cars and motorcycles and a few dilapidated buildings.
Oh and did I mention a man guarding the roof?
We are "escorted" into a building where one of the men disappears only to return with another man who nods to the first and they walk outside the door.
We are seated in an open room with one small coffee table, three chairs and a poster on one wall. Are you ready for this?
We talk Alpaca Yarn!

I snapped this photo when he left the room for a moment. Had I known the other men were waiting just outside the door I may have thought twice.
My guess is either Alpaca is a sought after commodity in Peru or yarn was not all that they were selling there.
To be continued........