Casino in Huancayo:

One night we were out with the crew of volunteers for beer and pizza. On the way home, we decided to stop in a casino that we have passed on our way home everyday for the past year. They had had horse racing there but not the kind that you might think. Situated on a big table, they had miniaturized mechanical jockeys and horses for racing. You put 10 centimos (3 cents) in the machine and make your bet. It took us about 2 hours to spend $2.70.

Dead Guy in the Street:

On the way back to the house one night, we were walking up one of the main streets when we spotted a few police officers standing in the street. We almost never see the police here in Huancayo so we were a little curious to see what was going on. When we arrived to where they were, we saw a man face down in the street lying in his own blood. The police were just standing around sort of looking at him not really sure what to do. It was a strange and horrifying experience.

Three Weeks Notice:

We needed to break the news to Tino that we were leaving in three weeks and we really didn’t know how he would take because honestly, he doesn’t take anything well. We sat down in his office and prepared to tell him our news. As an ice breaker Terry says, “Tino we have something to tell you, Alison is pregnant.” His eyes got as big as dinner plates and Terry quickly said, “Oh Tino, I am only joking, but actually, we are leaving Huancayo in three weeks.” He about fell out of his chair but took the news very well.

Conversion Rate for a Case of Beer:

One night we were talking in our room when a good friend of ours, Luke, came in with a case of beer and wanted to know the conversion rate from liters to ounces. We figured out that 7 liters equals about 253 fluid ounces. 253 ounces is about 15 cans a beer. They paid about 40 soles which is around 12 dollars American for 7 liters. Conclusion; beer is actually cheaper in the US than it is here in Peru.

Alex and the Hungry Dog:

Terry was painting the columns at the Rosario Orphanage in his holey jeans. His favorite kid at the Rosario, Alex, approached him and wanted to know how the hole got into Terry’s pants. While Terry was thinking what to tell him, Alex quickly asked him if it had been caused by a dog. Terry decided to go with it and said, “Yes, a dog came up to me and chewede a hole in my pants.” Alex then said, “Was it a big dog?” and “Was he hungry?” So now every time Terry goes to the orphanage, Alex asked him if he has seen any dogs lately.

Big Chifa Big Trouble

One Sunday we all went to a small Chinese restaurant on the main plaza to get some lunch. We sat down, ordered a few dishes and a few small bottles of coke. The waiter brought us all two liter bottles already opened and told us that there were no small bottles left. We pointed to the shelf directly behind him pointing out that there were at least two dozen in plain view and that we would only pay the price for what we ordered. One of friends, Stuart, ordered soup with his meal which comes with a ceramic soup spoon. After a few bites in, Stuart noticed that there is blood in his spoon. The spoon was so sharp that he had cut himself. We asked for the bill and waited for an hour to receive it. When we were charged for the two liter pops we gave the waiter enough for the small bottles, made sure that it was ok, then left. We were two block away from the restaurant when the waiter ran us down asking for the extra money. We told him that he was lucky to get anything and then walked away.