Villa El Salvador, Lima 03/10/2009

I arrived at my "new home" in Villa El Salvador, Lima yesterday, 12pm. I was so tired that I didn't have so much time and energy to think before falling asleep. That was good, since I spent almost all the time during my three flights from Copenhagen to Lima speculating about what I was getting into and trying to imagine how it would have been to live here. I was also speculating (a lot) about the (many) reasons why I decided to do it.

And then, I woke up, people talking loudly on the street -here people are always in fiesta, or laughing, or talking in the street- and I realized this was not CPH..but Perù. Yes, I am in Perù, leaving in a slum outside Lima, trying to teach English in a school.

My "new family" who is gusting me was waiting for me downstairs. They kiss me all the times they see me -so sweet and so peruvian. Well, I feel I couldn't have been luckier to find these people. They are so nice and so interesting. They make me be part of the family, they don't hide their problems, but they talk to me about them.

I went to the market today, the fruits are simply fantastic. I haven't realized yet if and how much dangerous it is to walk outside, but my family and another family who guest volunteers keep repeating us to be careful and not to carry any valuable with us etc etc. I don't understand if they are overprotecting us or if the criminality is truly high here.

But I will listen to them, of course. :-)