A week in Andahuaylas

Things are going well so far. We left Lima early Monday and arrived at the orphanage by late morning. Our little girl was playing in the yard, and saw us through the gate. We were brought into the office to meet the orphanage director and staff. With us were our attorney, Maria Elena Baldassari, her husband, Raul Alva, and a psychologist from the Secretaria Nacional de Adopciones, who we met last Friday in Lima.

We played with the children for a while at the orphanage, with other children around either on their lunch break from school or at recess from the preschool on site. Then we all went to lunch at a restaurant in the plaza de armas (main square) of the town. The children liked chicharron de pollo, sort of like popcorn chicken, but not as spicy. At lunch, Alex started to feel sick, so we went back to the hotel and he laid down while we colored and read books with the kids down the hall. He was feeling a little better after a few hours, so we gathered around a table in the lobby and taught them how to play Uno. They learned quickly, and it is now what the oldest boy wants to do all the time. We dropped them back at the orphanage around 5. Then, we all went to a cafe for pastries and coffee to discuss how it went. Alex was more sick in the evening, but while unpleasant, it was just due to the altitude, so he recovered by the next morning.

(Since the adoption is not final, we cannot post names or pictures online. Also, I am purposely not saying much about each child's personality.)

Yesterday, we picked the children up in the morning and headed off campus right away. Chrissy and Maria Elena played with them in the park while Doug and Raul went to three different offices in town to order additional birth certificates and get papers notarized. We had lunch at another restaurant. We first went there because we were all thirsty, and just ordered drinks. But Maria Elena met up with a friend who used to work at the orphanage, and they joined us late. By the time the soup came, the children had drank so much Inka Cola they weren't very hungry. So, the lunch we ordered for them became their dinner instead. The oldest boy carried the boxed meals around until we got back. He wanted to be sure he got the beef dish--the other two were chicken and "pappas blancas." There are several hundred varieties of potatoes in Peru, and each dish has its own specific potato. Thankfully, the restaurant didn't have chuno on the menu that day--smelly potatoes that are naturally freeze dried, thawed, and washed several times. The children like them fried with onions, but when they're put into a soup, apparently the smell is overwhelming to the uninitiated.

We spent the afternoon playing and coloring again. Then we gave them each a small gift, which we will keep at the hotel until they come with us permanently. It looks like the clothes we brought will probably fit them well enough to at least wear on the flight to Lima Friday morning. The psychologist had us sign a letter in which she approved us to take custody of the children to go to Lima. She had a few concerns about how the children were bonding with us, because she only observed us for a short time, and it is hard to pair up so that Mama gets time alone with each child, etc. But by the second day she saw it was all fine. She will continue to observe us for a week after we get to Lima.

Today we are all going to the lake called Pacucho. It is supposedly the most beautiful lake in Peru, and we really wanted to see it. The children have been there once before. Maria Elena and Raul did not get to visit it the last time they were here, about ten years ago. We are hiring a taxi with plenty of seats and it is only costing 100 soles (@ $40) for the round trip, and the driver will wait for us.