We moved!

We have been very busy over the past couple of weeks and did not have Internet at our new home until recently, so posting has been difficult. 

We moved into a new house, which is  close to our old house, but is better suited to life with a toddler. 

Not going to miss the gauntlet of mosquitos nor the bullet ants. Here is the moving truck making its way to our old house down the not-so-truck-friendly pathway. 

Our new home is just outside of the forested area, still lots of trees, and open space for Max to explore safely. 

We share the property with a very nice family: Eli, Corita, and their two children, three dogs, two cats, and a bunch of chickens and roosters. 

Max loves it here, his favourite things to do are kick his ball around the yard, play with his cars in the dirt, water the plants and to watch the beautiful birds that hang out in our trees... Hummingbirds, vultures, small parrots, woodpeckers, sparrows, and a cuckoo. We also have another resident tarantula who has yet to be named. 

Spencer has been harvesting fresh coconuts and these strange gindaberries that look like cherry-pumpkin hybrids, but taste bitter like a cranberry. 

Max enjoys helping out in the kitchen, he is great at mixing and pouring, but is not too patient when it comes to waiting for cakes to bake and Popsicles to set. 

We had our friend Pat visiting from Vancouver for a week. We all took a trip with Spencer to an Indigenous community called Shampuyacu. While Takiwasi was giving their presentation, Max and I played outside with some of the local boys. They were all very excited to watch Max and listen to him speak English. Everytime he spoke they laughed, I think Max thought this was his first stand-up comedy routine. 

That evening we went and stayed at a hotel in Moyobamba that is owned by an older Japanese couple. I never thought we would be eating sushi in the jungle, but we did! we also met a new friend Lucho (who is very close to the hotel owners, but lives in Lima). He spent the next couple days showing us around the area, including a local waterpark, an orchid and butterfly garden, and a chuchiwasi bar. 

Max and I are going to headed back to Canada for a visit very soon. Can't wait to see my family and friends... Also looking forward to bagels and eggnog lattes, and a thousand other things I can't think of at the moment (drinking water from the tap, understanding what people are saying to me, wearing seat belts, being COLD, etc.) 

It's a long one... Sorry

It's been a month since I have updated, we have settled into life in Tarapoto. My Spanish is slowly improving and Max has mastered his greetings and pleasantries. The cashiers at Immaculada (our grocery store) all come over to see Max and get a kiss on the cheek... a total charmer, just like my dad. 

Max is very helpful around the house... His favourite chores are helping with coffee, turning on the laundry, watering the plants and helping to make rice. As well as helping Spence with his work at the office. 

Spencer has been hard at work keeping 

up with the maintenance of the house. Burning leaves and branches, cleaning gutters, and cleaning out the water drainage... Blah! 

A few weeks ago we signed up to celebrate Takiwasi's birthday. Spencer did not have much information other than than it was a half an hour bus ride to another town, he was given two long ribbons that we did not know what to do with (we thought maybe we had to tie them around our heads?!) and that we had to stop at a church. Well, turns out the bus ride was 1.5 hours, the ONLY destination was church and the ribbon was to write our wishes to tie onto the to the famous Virgin Mary alter. I spent most the service in the park across the street eating ice cream with Max, as a Catholic Church service in Spanish is hard for me... Err, mean, a 2 year old to sit through. ;) 

The weather has made a little bit of a change. Everyday calls for thunderstorms, but there is usually a period of sunshine to enjoy. This picture is a perfect example of the strange weather. Still very hot and humid! 

Max has had a bit of a rough time... He bumped his head two times... The first trying to stand on top of a beach ball the second, slamming a door and having it bounce back and knock him over. Now when he has a minor bonk he says, "oh no, Max's head broken, need ice!" 

We also had a bit of a health scare. Max started to run a fever one evening but was in good spirits, so I didn't think much of it. The next morning he still had the fever, but ate breakfast and played as normal. As the morning went on the fever started to rise so I gave him a Tylenol before his nap. As he laid down to go to sleep he started to have a seizure. I panicked and ran outside to seek help from my neighbours. They came to our rescue, one Peruvian man took Max and started to perform some kind of jungle chanting to calm him while we waited to go the hospital. We received excellent treatment at emergency... We were seen by 3 doctors and several nurses immediately. Max was diagnosed with scarlet fever and given a course of antibiotics. He was a champ and enjoyed cuddling on the couch watching the movie Cars.

Some more unfortunate news... One of our kittens, Itchy, has gone on an adventure in the jungle and not come back. We are hoping that someone found him and has claimed him as their own pet (which apparently is quite likely here as a cute white kitten). Scratchy doesn't seem to mind too much, as now she doesn't have to battle for food and attention. She is a lovely cat who comes when you call her and is now very affectionate and tolerant of Max picking her up in awkward ways and driving his toy cars on her while she sleeps. She does find good hiding places when she's had enough. 

We had a nice Canadian Thanksgiving out at Rubén and Kristi's. Max and I made brownies (found some very expensive Betty Crocker mix at the store), Spencer created his own version of cranberry sauce with Camu camu berries,  and Rubén and Kristi made a delicious chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots, and green beans. The kids had a ball playing while we enjoyed the food and wine. They have a guest name Ida who is a journalist from Norway. She was super lovely and I hope we get to spend more time with her before she leaves.  

Max and I spent a morning with Tala, which is always a pleasure. They were very independent and wanted to hold each other's hands when walking on the sidewalk and not mine. 

Yesterday we took Spence to Urku (the animal refuge down our street. This spider monkey's name is Nativa. 

The animals at Urku have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Some are rehabilitated and released back into the wild, while others who have been raised in captivity will remain there. The two spiders monkeys are visited by a little tamarin named Luna who goes in and out of the cage as she pleases. The other spider-monkey holds and cuddles her like a baby. Max's favourite thing at Urku is the big snake. 

For the faint heart stop reading now!!!

I saved the creepy crawly update for last. Here are the latest creature encounters...

Horned beetle-- alive and harmless

Whip scorpion-- dead, but harmless even if it was alive

Tarantula-- alive INSIDE our house having a face-off with a lizard, harmless but still was terrified having it in our house. 

Leaf-cutter ants-- alive and hard at work, of course harmless. 

Sorry for the length... I am going to try to post short updates more frequently, as to avoid these super long ones. 

Saucy Weekend

There was a long weekend so we decided to go on a family holiday with the other CUSO family to a place called Sauce. It is only about an hour and half journey with a small ferry ride in the middle. When I heard we were going to cross the river on a ferry I didn't expect BCFerries standards, however, I was a little shocked to find that the ferry was three boats connected with plywood. 

I'm not a religious person but I was definitely saying a prayer as we puttered across.

It was well worth the journey because Sauce was absolutely beautiful. We stayed at an Air B&B that was located on Laguna Azul. It didn't take Max and Spencer long to find there way into the water. 

Max and Tala loved finding shells to toss in the water. 

Kristi was busy finishing a paper so we decided to get out and give her some quiet time. Rubén brought us to the local mudbaths. 

We thought Max was going to love covering himself in mud, as that is pretty much what he does on a daily basis, but the mud was like tar and made everyone look like swamp creatures. We may have traumatized him for life! Tala was not a fan either. SI tried to put a little on my face so he could see it was just mud, that was okay.  

Then we had him watch Spencer cover himself from head to toe... Nope! "No mud monsters" was repeated several times while we were there. 

After being pressure washed clean Spencer was as good as new, and really feeling refreshed. Maybe there really were some awesome minerals in the black mud. 

The house we stayed at had a couple of Kayaks. Max enjoyed sitting in one for a very short time... Enough to snap a quick photo, but was not ready to go for a real paddle. Spencer snd Rubén took the kayaks down to the other end of the lake to fish, but had no luck. 

The next day the boys were still determined to catch some fish so we hired the guy from the B&B to take us out in his boat. 

He took us to a recreational area on the lake with a beach. Kristi and I decided we would rather hang out there than fish.

Max went for his first horseback ride. I thought he would be apprehensive, but he was enthusiastic and told me that he didn't need me to hang on to him, which made me sad... And proud!

We had the beach all to ourselves. 

After a nice swim Max and Tala played in the dirt while Kristi and I ate fried plantains and drank a beer. It was glorious! 

The boys returned after about an hour with no fish so we ordered some from the restaurant and just pretended. 

Just before leaving we experienced the highlight of Peru so far... Sloth snuggles!!!!

Max was not interested in being hugged by a sloth but did enjoy the foot race he challenged him to. 

At dinner that night we had a visitor show up unannounced. Earlier that day she had actually broken-in and eaten all of it bananas. The creatures at this house were quite cheeky... Rubén and Kristi had the sound of mating bats to pull them to sleep, Kristi found a frog in the toilet, And some strange little land crabs snuck in for a visit. 

I'm getting used to the creature encounters and am actually beginning to enjoy MOST of them. 

It was a wonderful weekend away and I hope to return before the year is up. 

Casa Ezula

Our new home has been an adventure. Spencer has been working really hard to make it the best that it can be. After a good clean, a fresh coat of paint, and some furniture it has started to feel like a home.

 We had a few hiccups when we first moved in, electricity trouble, water trouble, oven trouble (which I was happy about cause I was enjoying eating all our meals out). Those of you who know me well know that I'm NOT a great cook...

Unfortunately I'm even worse here. My first meal was so bad that the neighbourhood dogs wouldn't even eat it when we invited them in to clean up the floor!

Thank you to Spencer and Max who swallowed it down without complaints. 

We are still tackling a few problems... Bug proofing our home and the Bullet Ant turf-war that's taking place on our front step. 

There are lots of other creepy crawlies hanging around outside, but I'm trying to approach them with a sense curiousity and wonder... I still let out shrieks and shudders on a daily basis, but I'm getting better. 

Max enjoys visiting with the two tarantulas that live along one side of our house. I never imagined I would say the words, "I'll meet you over by the tarantulas" to my toddler. They stay in their nests and just peek in and out so they seem to be the least of my worries. It's the poisonous caterpillars and Ezula's (bullet ants) that really scare me. 

I'm putting Max through bug assassin boot camp.

 Now that we covered the nasty stuff here are some photos of what we do around the house. 

Our house is a short moto-taxi ride from the town square. We live halfway up a steep hill so we walk down to the dirt road below to catch a ride everyday. Often it's very quiet...

However, on Friday and Saturday nights, this sleepy little town seems to be the party central. One of the homes doubles as a make-shift nightclub, blasting music that travels directly up to our bedroom. Max sleeps soundly through it, Spencer and I have not been so lucky. One night they randomly put on the Macarena at 2am! Noise regulations don't exist in the jungle.

 After the music stops the roosters and chickens start, they don't even wait for the sunrise... I didn't understand how people could kill and cook their own birds... Until now. I think it might be time for a good ol' poultry feast. 

I will leave it on a positive note... Aside from the minor issues the house is perfect. It has everything we need and more than expected (hot water, Internet, and a washing machine!). 

The air is fresh, the plants are beautiful, and it provides us with a good workout climbing the hill several times a day!