from mites to parasites

more possible culprits....
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Here I am. I arrived back in Iquitos about 2 weeks ago overjoyed to ditch the layers of clothes and sweat my toxins out (bit of foreshadowing here....).

In the spirit of the Christmas routine and the fact that I had friends visiting from Canada …via Lima….we spent the week eating everything in sight and then some.

My friends, one co-cooperant of CUSO and her brother, were very excited to experience the wonders of Loreto and its fine culinary delights so myself and co-workers could not disappoint. This city really does have some amazing food and there seems to be no lack of reasons to go out to eat or grab a beer. We had a wonderfully filled week; I got to show off my wee jungle paradise, share our project with another CUSO-Kallpiña, walk in the jungle complete with scary tree crossing over a minor gorge, eat alligator (oh yeah…this vegetarian is…well modifying her definition of vegetarianism) and generally over-enjoying the fist week back down below. It was fantastic but everything in life does have its consequences doesn’t it.

more sweetness
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Not sure how many of those reading have followed my other personal flogs….but you may remember that my last series of adventures left me with mites……well this time I got parasites! Always an adventure. The old saying that with comfort comes laziness….so very true. Thinking that I was a bit more of a Loretanian than I am, I came back and ate without caution. We ate in the markets, on the street, in jungle parks….I made up for time away from my beloved aguaje (local greasy fruit) and for the last week I have been paying for that mistake; I will not make it again. Luckily I had added a few pounds while on snowy soil so the fact that I have now not eaten solid food in six days is not so dyer. Continuing with my somewhat stubborn personality I was not going to go see a doctor, but my overly loving team here (the glorious Lady Fannia) came to my house on the second day and put me in taxi. I am very thankful to her for this; sometimes we do need a push for our own good. My tests showed that I have a very accommodating stomach as it has made homes for a parasite, infection and wait for it……fungus. Yep, I am a host of thousands…..the hostess with the mostest. I am non too worse for ware though. My counter has turned into a pharmacy and I have a packed schedule of pills and fluids to take.  My dinners of grilled fish and plantains have turned into a diet of water crackers and gelatine, but hey it ain’t dengue. For this I am thankful.

balloon volley
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Besides my own personal drama, the other excitement right now is that the youth group in El Porvenir rose at 5AM Saturday to start building their meeting room. They are using the money which was raised by the gracious folks back in Newfoundland and Labrador (thank you again….you know who you all are). With this fund the group has enough to build the room, buy furniture, books and other materials. It is absolutely wonderful that things are moving along and the group is moving on this together…inch by inch, row by row….we’ll make other things than parasites grow!