So, I have finally arrived at my final destination. After spending a week and a half in Lima I flew to Tumbes. As I have traveled to Lima before, it was nothing new for me, but Tumbes, well it’s a whole new world. Peru is a very diverse country. I have noticed that each city is very different from the others, Tumbes being a prime example.
Tumbes is a poor city in the North of Peru. The differences in terms of the houses, the markets, and forms of transportation are very evident. The houses are small and resemble shacks. Instead of supermarkets and department stores, it has a market that sells everything you can imagine: fruit and vegetables, live animals, housewares, clothing, jewellery, etc, and along the street you can find various variety stores and specialty shops.
Transportation is unique. As it is so hot in Tumbes, most people drive motorcycles or take a motor taxi (a cross between a motorcycle and a rickshaw). Protective wear is not used. Last week, Ruben, a co-worker, drove me home from the office (three short blocks) on his motorcycle. There I was hanging on for dear life (they drive a little crazy here); no helmet, no padding. I think my parents would’ve killed me had they seen.
Everyone in Tumbes speaks Spanish. I can see that I am going to be lost for the first little while, but hopefully, that means I will improve my Spanish very quickly. At times this becomes difficult. Many times I don’t understand what people are saying, but I get too embarrassed to tell them, so I brush it off with a giggle. They usually make a comment about me not understanding and laugh along with me.
Communication has also lead to a few misunderstanding like when Vicente thought I said Hugo told me he lived in the cemetery as opposed to near the cemetery. Ha ha!
I am adjusting to the way of life in Tumbes. Things seem to be going normally. I started my normal routine, breakfast at the house, walked to work and commenced my day. As I begin working on some research it starts, this loud noise from some machine outside. I am thinking the construction workers from last week have returned. Then, a dark cloud of smoke floats up to the second story window and blows into the office. The stench is awful. A co-worker tells me to leave the office. They are fumigating!! We are forced to take our computers home and return to work mid afternoon.
