The Home Stay Experience

Having survived the Inca trail we set off on the next leg of our journey across Peru. Our current band of five (  not the bunch from Enid Blyton) arrived at a village home stay after hours on the road. All desperate for a pee, we rushed past the bemused welcome committee for the nearest loo. We sheepishly returned to the welcome celebrations and were lead off to our host families by the village Mama’s. After lunch we began a tour of the famous Inka ruins of Raqchi Unfortunately I twisted my ankle and had to limp painfully round the site and the half mile walk back to the host family.

I hate fuss and am a firm believer in British stiff upper lip. Eva isn’t, resulting in the supply of a heavy duty pain killer, followed by the application of cream to my foot and a support bandage by our host. Just before bedtime another woman from our host family bandaged my foot again applying cream, helped by a three year old boy who could talk for Peru.(so embarrassing)

The evening had involved a mixup over the timing of a meal, meaning much of the village waited for us to finish a strange soup and dry potato.

This was followed by dressing up in native costumes (always my favourite) and a strange ceremony to Pachamama (Mother Earth). Being so tall it felt to me like Munchkins do which-craft. This was followed by dancing round a fire of animal pooh. Thankfully my ankle was a get out of dancing card.

The following morning I squeezed out of a door a foot too short and 6 inches too narrow. As a result of my foot injury separate arrangements were made for my meeting our transport, basically rather than walk a kilometre, I would hobble to a nearby road and the truck would pick me up. The old woman, probably my age, walked me to the road. We made a strange pair her 4 foot six and me 6 foot 5. 

Suddenly she pushed me into a van. Facing me were 10 women in the costume of the local ethnic community smiling knowing. Suddenly I was worried without a clue where we were going. I need not have worried she was hitching a ride for me to our truck and we soon exited the van accompanied by the friendly smiles of all onboard .Feeling foolish for my earlier fears I was suddenly overcome with a huge sense of affection for this woman who had treated me with such kindness. I gave her a big hug as she solemnly put a necklace round my neck. To achieve this I had to kneel down, it must have made a strange sight.  Soon I climbed aboard our transport relieved but strangely sad to be leaving.