Robert Nijhout in Peru

Hhmmm.... my second morning in Huanchaco and already slightly hung over. I consider that a good thing. Yesterday was a nice evening. After dinner we went on to the beach ( like 30 meters from the front door ) where the kids from the shelter next door were making a camp fire. These were all ex- street kids ranging from age 10 to 14 and at first I thought they would be like sad little children who were angry at the world and grown up to fast for their own good. But it was quite the opposite. They were just like kids that age everywhere else in the world. Even more so. They were full of life and joy. Laughing, playing, jumping around and playing soccer. Maybe it was the sugar rush from the marsh mellows they we're roasting over the fire and the bubblegum lemonade but they we're like little lab-monkeys who just found the key to the candy store. It was a blast! The joy they got out of people just caring a little was heart warming. It was the little things that made them happy, like spinning them around and throwing them in the air a couple of times. Or showing them how to make drawings with a camera and a burning stick. It was so cool seeing the smiles on their faces when they discovered they could do that themselves. Kids that age in Holland would have been bored after 10 minutes and wonder where their Game Boy went. For me it was a culture shock in a good way.

After about a hour or two the kids went to bed and I went on further down the street to go and see a art exhibition in a bar called La Tribu. The local watering hole for the artistic and fun loving Peruvian. Initiator Luis is your typical free-spirited-seen-it-all-done-it-all-mellow-always-smiling, kind of guy. And quite the artist as well.

The artist of the hour was Paul. A painter about my age. A real talent. I was very tempted to buy some of his art, if only it was small enough to fit in my backpack.

Had some beer, had some coca tea, had some coca snacks, got drunk, went home. It was a good day.

That was yesterday, tonight Janneke ( of FairMail ) is having her birthday party at her home. A nice and cosy get together with some of her and Peters friends.

# posted by Robert Nijhout @ 17:17