Weekend and Islas Palminos

Hello! This one is from Keri. We had a full weekend again. On Saturday, from 8-2, we helped at CASP with a free screening of about 1,300 babies. We had pediatricians, dentists, ophthalmologists, nutritionists, and specialists from CASP screening for developmental delays. At night we went with Elena and Santiago, the family we live with, to Barranco, a popular place to go out to eat and dance. We ate at a restaurant and had Pisco Sours (their STRONG national drink) and tried Anticuchos (skewered beef hearts). What made the night more exciting was the power going out in the middle of our meal. It stayed off for over an hour. This is the second time that´s happened to us here (Katie, Beth, and Heather, I thought of you and our time in Guatemala!). We also had a small earthquake last week (only 5. something), so we´ve been told we´ve now had a full Peruvian experience!

Yesterday, one of my lifelong dreams came true. No, I didn´t ride on a Zamboni (see ¨Hockey¨ blog from October). We swam with sea lions. Between the ages of about 7 and 16, I had a fascination (okay, some would call it an obsession) with seals and sea lions. I collected figurines, read about them, and did reports on them. And I have ALWAYS wanted to swim with them. There is a small company with a yacht that does 4 hour tours around the small islands that are close to Lima. One of the islands has become a natural harbour for thousands of sea lions. It was incredible! Because there are not predators around those parts (at least that´s what they told us), the tour guides let us get wet suits on and swim with them! The water was COLD because even though we´re in Peru and it´s summer, there is a current called the Humboldt current which keeps the water cold all year. We weren´t allowed to touch them, and the sea lions kept out of reach, but they were very curious about us and very playful, jumping all around us. What an experience! I will never forget it! What a blessing to be able to fulfill dreams like this during our time away from home!