Peru

        All this for 5 soles ( $A1.80)

Life in Peru - it is a hectic, ancient, unique, enchanting and desperate place. On arrival I was hit in the face by the hot desert wind and squalls of dust coating everything. I was in Lima for a quick surf ( which turned out to be really fun) then I was jetting up North my destination for the next couple of months. Leaving Lima I saw many hills covered by depressing, dusty, arid slums - apparently the result of when TV was introduced in the 50s - thousands migrated down from the Sierra and Amazonian regions chasing lives they saw on the box. Many of these communities are still without basic infrastructure (electricity and water) - and driving through them really makes your ponder.

 In the took - took heading to the volunteer ramp

 The poor sleepy community out the back of the tourist hub of Huanchaco

I´m now set up in the fishing and surfing town of Huanchaco. Huanchaco has a really Mexican vibe on the streets with bodegas on every corner playing regaeton and a really laid back vibe. Every morning I do my educational prac in the hectic little city of Trujillo 30 minutes away. It's a public boys school of 2 000 kids - where I help out with the English classes. It's such a crazy experience having 35 Peruvian groms screaming and fighting in front of you - but as a class clown myself - I get on their level and enjoy the challenge.
The kids are from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds though the real elitists go to schools like the British international school. I'm teaching in these temporary campuses as the main campus is under construction. It's real basic, there is no electricity and if teachers give out worksheets for example - the make the students pay for the photocopies.

It's great to see some of the groms frothing on skating up at the volunteer ramp

The volunteer ramp

The view from the huge church on the hill

Coming home from work I'm either surfing really long lefts, just cruising on the pushbike around town visiting or volunteering up at the skate ramp in the poor community. The town is full of amazing seafood dishes and for less the $2 you can get a fresh juice, an entre and a delicious meal of rice, fish, and sauced up vegies - I don´t understand how they cut a profit!

Easter mass on the street in Lima