2. Experience report from Peru
When I wrote my first report in December, I couldn’t have imagined how much I would develop in just these few months, how my life in Miguel Grau would change, and what wonderful experiences and people I would get to know.
The biggest change is that Erik left Miguel Grau for Cusco at the beginning of March. Although at first I thought I might struggle with loneliness, I have to admit that this is not the case. Because I can no longer fall back on German, my Spanish is improving more and more, and I have also been given the opportunity to move into Erik’s old room. It is more modern, has its own bathroom and a large terrace. At first I thought the smaller size might bother me, but the advantages clearly outweigh it. Since David, my boss and owner of the house, spends most of his time in Lima, I can use and arrange the terrace freely, but I also have to keep it clean myself, just like my room. One of the most beautiful moments is in the evening when I leave the house and walk the few minutes to dinner. I can enjoy nature and see an uncountable number of stars, almost like in a planetarium.
After Erik left, my work has also changed a bit. Overall, it has become more and at the same time less focused on social media. Since the end of March, the first harvests have begun, which means that Elvis and I have to dry the cascara, i.e. the skin of the coffee. Admittedly, this is more stressful, especially because it is expected that I take on part of Erik’s tasks. This sometimes leads to tense situations in everyday work, as the high workload is also reflected in communication. In some moments, I find the tone stricter and more challenging, which puts additional pressure on me and sometimes gives me the feeling that I am not doing my work well enough. At the same time, I have noticed that cultural differences in dealing with one another also become apparent, especially with regard to the image of women and communication, which are not always easy for me to classify. Nevertheless, I try to deal with it in a reflective way and find my own way to handle such situations constructively. Still, I am often out and about with the camera, conduct interviews with farmers or the organic certifier, give my colleagues drone flying lessons, or present projects on Instagram. Aurelia, the head of the laboratory, is away until July because she is continuing her education in another city, which made things a bit more chaotic in the lab at first. Above all, we repeatedly feel the lack of chocolate and coffee in our daily lives here.
Even though Aurelia is not in the lab, I still see her again and again in the village. She was also at the carnival, where everyone throws water, colors, and flour at each other and wrestles in the mud. It is precisely through such events that I fall more and more in love with Miguel Grau and the people who live here. I was even invited to the carnival in Yurinaki, the nearest town, and stood in the front row to dance with bells. However, no one really took the dancing seriously, and since I was only asked 24 hours beforehand, I didn’t feel any pressure to do everything perfectly.
In March, my father also visited me, and we traveled to Cusco together and visited Machu Picchu. In that moment, I realized once again what an extraordinary life I am living here. In the middle of the mountain rainforest, in a remote house, about 40 minutes from the nearest town. A life with myself and nature, in which I have learned an incredible amount. Before my volunteer service, my friends often joked that I wouldn’t survive 24 hours here because my fear of insects, spiders, and other animals was so great. But I have largely overcome these fears. During my internship in Pucallpa, I let monkeys sit on me after just a few minutes, a spider lived peacefully in the bathroom, and the various moths now accompany me every evening on the terrace.
I have learned to live more spontaneously and to embrace new and sometimes crazy ideas more quickly. One weekend I went to Oxapampa, slept on the floor because my sleeping bag had gone moldy, and rode 30 kilometers on broken wheels through pouring rain, only to end up celebrating with my Peruvian friends until four in the morning. On another day, I went alone to a jazz club and even got to know the musicians in the end. I experience so much here that I have partly already forgotten what I experienced at the beginning of my volunteer service.
I am very much looking forward to returning to Germany, as I miss my friends and family and finally want to start my studies. At the same time, life here is really beautiful. I have met wonderful people, gained many new experiences, and live a much more relaxed daily life. I will consciously enjoy the remaining three and a half months and try to make the most of this time in my second home.
Cyprien Chevallier