Colca-Giving to the familes

Today was a great day! This morning I met at Sylwia´s hostel at 750am to help carry all the clothes, toys, and food she had bought with money people had donated to her to help the kids. She was in the coco shop (seems everything starts there) asking where she can donate all this stuff, when a woman who lives down the street said her village, Colca, needed supplies for the families that lost their homes in the flood. So today, we brought all the stuff the Carmens house, and went to the market to buy some more food. Rice, sugar, salt, pasta, soap, clothes, toys, paper and color pencils. You name it, we brought them alot of stuff.

We met back at Carmens with the rest of the food we bought. Then Carmen, Andrea (daughter), Rachel(friend), Sylwia, and I got in a taxi with all the supplies to get a Collectivo (another taxi but cheaper) to take us to Pisac which is about an hour away. Along the way, the road still had rocks on the sides that had fallen from the sides. At one point, there was only one lane because there was a pile of rocks. When we got to Pisac, we saw the bridge that had collapsed and people on the sides of the roads trying to clear up large rocks. The collectivo took us further to another brigde that you only walk across. From here, we had to carry all the supplies to the other side to catch another bus to get to Colca. On both sides of the bridge there are buses with people trying to get you to get into their bus or taxi, food venders selling all sorts of food, and some clothes. We could only carry half of the supplies we had, so we left Andrea with the rest and would come back. When we got to the other side, buses and taxis where bidding for us to go with them. The bus wanted to leave right away and was only charging 1 Sole (about 30cents). We told him we had other stuff and would need to get it, when Andrea showed up right behind us with all our stuff in a wheel barrow a guy was pushing for her. Perfect. We got on the bus and off we went to Calca.

Getting into the city we could see areas that were destroyed from the flooding. Houses are usually made out of mud and grass, so they just melt away in the water. We got dropped off in the city center and with in the city, you can see its a nice place. We then got 2 tuktuks (motorcycle taxis) to take us to an area where people were living in tents and their homes behind them were destoyed. Carmen went to talk to them and tell them we have supplies for them. We first met a few kids who asked to get their photo taken and then wanted to see it. Sylwia gave them each a toy and they were so happy. When we brought in the food and clothes, people were in a mad rush for all the free stuff. They set up a line right away to wait to get stuff. It was crazy as Sylwia, Carmen, Andrea, and Rachel handed out supplies. I stood back to take pictures and just to watch the craziness. I handed out a few toys and took pictures witth the kids. Within an hour, they had handed out all the stuff and we were done. They thanked us and clapped as we waved and said goodbye.
From there we walked away in ahh of the crazyness. How those people swarmed to get stuff, and those that would hide what they got to come back to get more. And to see the houses that were destroyed.

We left there and was waiting for a bus to catch, when they decided to go to Carmens parents house. Now this was a house. Far away from where the flood was. We walked in and through the house, it opened up to a huge forest in the back yard. There were trees with all sorts of different fruits and flowers and plants. Even further back, you went through a gate and they had a little field where they planted potatoes and along the fence were beautiful rose bushes. We picked the fruit right off the tree and ate it. None of it, i have ever seen or tried before. They even had me climb up a tree onto the roof of the house to pick some of the fruits that were ripe. It was so peaceful in this garden. Beside all the unique fruits, it reminded me of home.
Leaving Carmens home, we made it back to Pisac to get some Choclo and Queso, which is a big ear of corn with a slice of cheese. I also got some sort of donut thing with syrup drizzled ontop. So good! Then back to the madness of getting drafted into a bus to head back to Cuzco. What a nice day. We made some people happy.