Catacaos & Chiclayo: A very busy day! (July 22, 2010)

Maralea and David in Catacaos - ready to shop

David here met Beto, a member of the Catacaos Ward, who was selling - we bought from him!

             We awoke early with the objective of getting out the door by 9:00 a.m.  David had some chores to do before we departed for Catacaos to see Hermana Angelica, David’s pensionistta there.  A quick story about Hermana Angelica.  David called her the night before to advise we would be coming to visit.  She got so excited because she thought she had missed seeing David off at the airport Tuesday.  How much does Hermana Angelica love David?  She said that she raced to the airport Tuesday at 5:00 a.m. to see him off, and was very disappointed that she missed him.  No one there would give her any information and she sadly returned home.  (The missionaries used to leave on a flight at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, but that apparently changed to Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. within the past few months, unbeknownst to Hermana Angelica.)  She became emotional as she spoke with David and learned that he was still in Piura and that he wanted to come visit her.  David had some thing to get settled with his Go Phone as the minutes added yesterday apparently were not added to his phone.  We planned on going to the same place from which he acquired the minutes the day before and learned it does not open until 10:00 a.m.  So that put us behind a tad.  We then discovered that we have yet another Star Peru flight change, which may compromise plans in Cuzco for Saturday.  Oh joy.  Regardless, we just pressed forward -expecting the worst and will be grateful when things go relatively well.

A self pic from the balcony of Hermana Angelica, a view from which David sent some videos home a year earlier

            We got all packed and stored our bags at the hotel as we took a taxi to Catacaos, which is about 10 miles outside Piura.  Catacaos is the area in which David served where he and his companion worked all afternoon one day to fill up the baptismal font with five gallon water jugs moved by moto from their apartment (about five jugs at a time), when the font water faucet would apparently not engage.  David sent home a digital videotape of that event, complete with moving the water, David climbing over the fence of the exterior chapel doors, his companion handing each jug over the top of the fence, as David would come set them down by the camera.  They then filled the font one jug at a time, making trip after trip, climb after climb over that fence with sharpened edges at the top.  The videotape ends with David and his companion sitting in their apartment, with David saying: “Well, you saw all the work that took place, and I am sorry to say that the baptism did not go through.  But, we still had fun, didn’t we elder!”  David’s Latino companion nods his head and the two of them bump fists to conclude the video.  I have watched that several times, so it was fun to see the chapel in person.  I tried to get a picture of it en route to the center of Catacaos, but could not get my camera out fast enough.  But each time we drove by an LDS chapel in Piura and the surrounding area, we would always ask David: “Is this the chapel where you filled the font with the drinking water from your apartment?” 

Tornado's family is in Catacaos

            We arrived in Catacaos and David took us down a street known as a place for sellers to gather and offer their wares.  We immediately met Hermano Beto, a member from the local ward selling goods who recognized David and said: “Hey, Elder Royal!”  We stopped and were introduced.  Maralea and I decided to buy a few things from Hermano Beto.  We walked the street, stopping occasionally to inspect items of interest.  I was looking for a wallet with Peru and Maralea wanted a necklace and some other gifts.  She had her heart set on something in a leather store and told David to go to work. A woman there said she would go as low as nine soles.  David said he would pay only eight.  She sent him to her husband, who then sent him back to his wife.  They would not move fro the nine soles.  David would not move from eight.  And there we stood, the equivalent of $.30 keep us from possessing the item Maralea wanted.  What did we do?  We walked out.  (Seriously, you always have to be willing to walk away from a deal.  That’s a key to every successful negotiation.  Although this one was not so successful, was it?)  David was stopped by a woman and her two daughters who just said: “Elder!”  They did not know David personally, but said they were visiting from Lima and wanted to say hello to him as a missionary.  He was later stopped by another man who said he was from Lima who said (in Spanish): “Elder, are you now finishing your mission?  Very good!”  We also ran into the missionaries presently serving in the area and visited with them briefly.  We went to see Hermana Angelica at her home, located next to the apartment where David resided when serving here.  I immediately recognized the area as David had sent home a video providing a tour of his apartment, complete with his view of the town from his second floor window.  It was amazing to actually be there.  Hermana Angelica was like all the other pensions we met: loving, kind, sweet, nurturing - someone who loved and cared for our son.  It was in Catacaos that David somehow contracted typhoid.  He lost a lot of weight due to a loss of appetite and fatigue.  Hermana Angelica would get after him to always eat all the food she cooked for him, even if he did not feel like it, insisting: “People who eat do not die.”  Sound counsel.  So, David ate and is still with us today.  Hermana Angelica busily went about cooking lunch for us.  She was in the kitchen for about 45 minutes, coming to serve us, then leaving, then returning with more food, then leaving.  She actually ate with a friend from the ward in another room as we ate.  David said: “That’s just the way they do things around here.  Don’t be offended by it.  She will come in and visit with us once we are done eating.”  Sure enough, after we had eaten and Hermana Angelica had cleaned off the table, she returned and we visited.  David gave her some gifts, including the apron he wrote on for her.  She asked Maralea and me to write on it as well.  Hermana Angelica told us that David is very special to her. She has a picture of David and Elder Matchacuay eating at her table when they served here together.  Other than the pictures of her two returned missionary sons, those are the only pictures of missionaries in her area of keepsakes.  She said she will never forget him, that David always ate her food.  She loved his personality, the way he would tease her, sneak up on her in the kitchen as she was cooking to scare her (something he did again while we were there, for old times sake), and so on.  It was another wonderful afternoon - a very memorable, sweet memory for us all.

Lunch with Hermana Angelica was sweet - she lovingly cared for David when he was ill

David with Hermana Angelica, showing off her new apron, signed by all of us

            Our goal was to make it back to Piura in time for the 2:00 pm bus to Chiclayo.  I knew that was wishful thinking, so I planed on 3:00 pm, maybe even 4:00 pm.  David seems to just lose track of time - something that seems to be common with the culture here.  Time exists, but it does not rule.  The people here let time come to them, they do not appear to be run by time.  So, if you are late - so what?  I kept trying to move David along to stay on schedule and he would just tell me to “chill” and assure me that everything was going to work out fine.  That kind of thinking is just . . . foreign to me, I guess.  Oh, I have another observation about Peruvian taxis - they are constantly honking their horns.  Honky, honk, honk.  I think they do it more often than not out of habit.  And, I learned something else about Peruvian taxis I did not know.  Peru is apparently very strict about its “seatbelt laws.”  The taxi drivers are insistent that the passenger in the front seat is wearing a seatbelt.  Elder Watson in the mission office said that he was recently riding in a taxi where the driver was stopped by police, arrested and his car impounded because Elder Watson was a front passenger not wearing a seatbelt.  Now, those in the backseat simply have to fend for themselves, as I have yet to come upon a vehicle here with back seat safety belts.  (Apparently there is no law requiring seat belts in the back seat.)  Frankly, the taxis are so small, everyone would be creamed in a moderate impact accident anyway, seatbelts or not.  The traffic kind of moves along the streets like a bunch of busy ants going to and from an ant hill, with cars going every which way, vehicles turning left from the right lane, running red lights, daring pedestrians to cross while within a crosswalk (the taxis will claim and take the right of way there every time).  It is just interesting.  Something to be said for the taxis, however, is that there are so many of them along the main streets, even the back streets, even late at night, that you always have that little safety net there when you are out walking late as we were last night.  Our taxi driver that took us from Catacaos back to Piura turned up the radio for our enjoyment so we could bask in the Latino rap he so loved.  It was pretty catchy, though I have absolutely no idea what they were saying (of course).

David with Elder Hanke at the Piura bus station as we prepared to depart for Chiclayo

            We arrived at the hotel, collected our bags, and got into yet another taxi, which took us to the bus station.  We arrived at about 2:30 pm, plenty of time to make the 3:00 pm bus.  David called one of his favorite missionary companions, Elder Hanke from Lima, Peru, who came to the bus station and visited for about 10 minutes before we left.  They were like long lost friends coming together, embracing, laughing, taking pictures and exchanging contact information.  Elder Hanke speaks some English - more than many of the Latino elders we have thus far met.  The bus has assigned seats to David handled everything to make sure we had the best seats.  To David, the “best seats” are the ones in back of the bus, “so you can recline and there is no one behind you to get mad.”  I like the way he thinks.  One problem however, is that we were seated right next to the bathroom.  So, while I personally enjoyed having the extra leg room without the guilt of inconveniencing the person behind me . . . the surrounding scent kind of offset the benefit a wee bit.  Otherwise, the bus ride from Piura to Chiclayo was easy, and comfortable.  They played some crazy American movie in Spanish that I did not watch and could not follow.  (My experience on three bus rides here is that they love playing the violent “R” rated American movies dubbed in Spanish here - because that is all we have seen.  You know the type.  To quote Arnold Schwartzenager in “Terminator” (before he helped lead California to financial ruin): “Hasta la vista, baby!”

On the bus from Piura to Chiclayo - with the bus restroom just behind me

Maralea did NOT like sitting close to the restroom on the bus - David did not notice the smell - she did!

            The temperature in Piura was great the entire time we were there - even a little warm.  It was San Diego, CA type weather.  As we arrived in Chiclayo, we noticed a definite temperature change.  Since we had been there a few days before, we were ready, with coats in hand.  We were met by Hermano Manuel, a member of the local ward there, who picked us up from the bus station and took us directly to the home of Hermana Rosilina for dinner.  She had actually written a letter to us several months ago, entirely in Spanish, in which she wanted to express the love she and her family have for David.  That was really cool.  We kept that as a wonderful memento from David’s mission.

Hermano Manuel got ALL our bags . . . plus us . . . into his taxi in Chiclayo

            We received three other emails in Spanish related to other intra country fights later in the day which I am afraid to read.  Honestly, I think if you plan a trip to Peru, which includes numerous intra country flights, my suggestion would be to plan loosely, give yourself plenty of time between flights - expect sudden flight cancellations/changes, and just be ready to roll with every punch.  It is kind of like the punching wall obstacle in the show “Wipe Out” (people try to walk across a wall with a ledge of about six inches with little handles to hold onto as they progress, while boxing gloves attached to mechanical arms pop out from everywhere to try to knock off contestants into the shallow pool of mud lying about a foot below): chances are that you are going to get a little muddy - so just plan on it and you will not be disappointed.  We have really tried to pack a lot into two weeks.  However, our number one priority has been for David to return to the areas where he served and see as many people as he can.  So far, so good.  If we were to leave for home after our arrival in Lima on Friday, without ever having made it to Cuzco, Machu Picchu, the Amazon jungle, etc., the trip will have been a great success in my book.  I told Maralea at the end of the day that I am beat.  However, I think David feels a sense of relief now that he has done his part, seen the people he wanted to see, delivered the many gifts he prepared for his loved ones in Peru, and can leave most of the leading up to us.

David with Hermano Manuel at the Chiclayo bus station

David with Elder Mostacero and Elder Santos at the Chiclayo bus station

             As we exited the bus in Chiclayo there was a noticeable change in temperature: it was much colder than Piura.  I stepped off the bus behind Maralea and was approached by an older gentleman who said: “taxi?”  I was not entirely honed in at that moment and, not wanting to let on that I do not speak Spanish, I immediately pulled out my passport and showed it to him.  David said: “Dad you don’t need your passport here.  He’s asking if you want a taxi.”  Sheesh.  “Taxi” is kind of a universal word I should have a grasp of by now.  Anyway, before I could stew long with embarrassment, David’s friend Manuel was there with a big smile on his face.  He was very happy to see us.  He and David embraced.  Manuel helped us get all our bags off the bus and escorted us to his taxi vehicle.  The small taxi vehicles here can barely fit four people, and there is virtually no luggage space.  And yet, somehow Manuel managed to get in six big pieces of luggage, and three passengers with backpacks.  It was a tight squeeze, but he made it happen.  Manuel took us to his home, where we met his family.  They have relatives in Orem, Utah (and sent us home with some items to pass along).  Manuel served a mission in Lima, Peru a few years ago.  He is now married and a father of one.  We had some good old fashioned apple pie with Inca Cola.  Hermano Jorge, our driver to Chachapoyas, contacted David and asked if he could see us again.  I was very happy to hear that we would reconnect.  Hermano Jorge (37) is always smiling, loves to talk, is very engaging and happy.  We actually grew quite close to him after that grueling Chachapoyas trip.  We visited, looked at lots of photographs together, and listened to some Bon Jovi (“Livin’ on a Prayer”) and Guns & Roses (“Sweet Child of Mine”).  Manuel had me surfing online to pick out songs I liked, and we would then start singing familiar songs.  I think his was the first home we visited that actually had a working internet.  That was pretty cool.  After leaving a few gifts, we left for dinner.

Manuel and his family

Gathering around the kitchen in Manuel's home, here with Hermano Jorge (left) and Manuel (right)

Hermano Jorge wanted to drive us around one more time, despite the moose ears

Hermano Manuel's son, McKay, showing off some Spiderman moves

            Manuel was going to drive us to our next destination, but Hermano Jorge insisted that he would take us.  He drove us to the home of Segundo “Papito” Parra, which was actually only a couple blocks away.  Papito’s wife, Hermana Rosilina, served as David’s pensionistta while he was assigned to this area as a zone leader.  They have three of the cutest children you will ever meet: Aaron (6), Shelly (4), and Jairo (almost 2).  Hermano Jorge stopped his vehicle outside their home as we got out and we said goodbye.  I had a BYU shirt I wanted to give him as a present, but left it in the hotel room.  So, I was going to give him one of the shirts I was wearing - the t-shirt from the 2009 Warm Springs YM Encampment (one of a kind).  But, Jorge said he wasn’t going anywhere, that he planned all along on waiting for us to finish our dinner and visit, then he would take us back to our hotel.  We told him we might be a couple hours, and he said that was fine.  Maralea and I felt bad about that, and suggested to David that we invite him in, but David said Jorge would not come in and he would not leave.  So, we just went ahead with our plans.

Together with Hermano Manuel, his wife Hermana Tania, son McKay, Tania's sister Dina

              Hermana Rosalina and her family had written us several months ago after David left Chiclayo.  She wanted us to know that we have a wonderful son whom they adopted as their own while he was in Chiclayo.  Maralea brought the letter with us on our trip to show the family and let them know we received it and so appreciated the warm sentiments they extended to us.  It is a long letter written with such care.  They went to a lot of trouble to send that to us.  We learned that this family, like the others we had visited, were absolutely in love with our missionary son and were anxious to share that love with us, as his parents.  As we approached the entrance to the Parra home, two of the young children came out and excitedly said: “Elder Royal!”  They ran to David and Hermana Rosalina invited us in.  She was so happy to see us.  We met Papito and were given a little tour of the home.  They showed David that they had a new kitchen floor, courtesy of Elder Kolb who departed the mission with David’s group.  Hermana Rosalina had prepared a great meal: aji de gallina.  She had asked David about what to prepare for us and that was his recommendation, relating that it is my favorite Peruvian dish.  And it was awesome!  Papito and Hermana Rosalia told us of how they met and began their beautiful family.  He was not a member of the Church and her father did not approve of him.  Papito was baptized and was then more actively pursuing Hermana Rosalina, but she decided to serve a mission and responded to a call to Bolivia.  When she received her call, Papito gave her an ultimatum: mission or marriage.  She called his bluff and chose the mission.  Papito waited, and was the first in line to greet her at the airport when she returned home.  Still, even though he had been an active and faithful member of the Church, Hermano Rosalina’s father did not approve.  But, they persevered and were married in the Lima Temple.  Hermano Rosalina said that Papito is not her father’s favorite son-in-law.  They are warm, strong people, devout Church members, and have a lot of love in their home and hearts, which they freely shared with us.  It seems that we took more pictures there than at any other home we visited, probably because the children were so active, so cute, and were all over David.  It was funny watching Shelly sitting on David’s lap as he took control of her arms and pretended that she was driving a car (something he and Elder Hanke had done many times before), or watching her slap his hands when he would say “chocola,” a Spanish akin to “squash this” while holding his flattened hand out.  (That is how David taught the children to give a high five.)  Hermana Rosalina loved her the autographed apron David gave to all his pensionisttas.  She was so cute trying it on, posing for photos.  The family was very touched that we would make the effort to come see them, to be in their home.  It was really a special, wonderful experience. 

Hermana Rosalina working on her new cement kitchen floor (installed by Elder Kolb)

David with the Parra family, the children (Aaron, Shelly and Jairo, from left) he described as "the cutest in the world"

The elders in Chiclayo stopped in to visit, David here with Elders Garcia and Ibarra

David with Aaron and Shelly

Segundo "Papito" with Aaron and Shelly

             Hermano Jorge was waiting for us outside the Parra home, just as he promised.  It was cold outside, but he remained his his vehicle listening to his favorite radio station.  He brought us back to our hotel and refused to take any money for the transport.  I asked him to wait and ran to our room to get a new BYU t-shirt I had set aside for him.  He was impressed that I would part with a BYU shirt, “the school of the Church.”  We tried to give him money for his time, but Hermano Jorge refused.  He said to me, through David: “You have a great son, because he has great parents.”  We hugged, said goodbye, and he drove away into the night.  We tried to get things ready for an early departure, and did not get to bed until after 1:00 a.m.  Since the alarm is set for 4:20 a.m., we are staying in a really nice, expensive place for the purpose of essentially taking a nap.

            As Maralea and David sleep presently, and I prepare for my little power nap, I am counting my blessings for having been present here with David in the Peru Piura Mission to meet the people among whom he lived, served, and clearly so loved.  It is an amazing thing to see some of the key landmarks he described, put faces to names, watch David so fluently speak the language, and observe the way he so easily and lovingly interacts with the people here.  We ran into two sets of missionaries in Chiclayo (all Latino) and they all stopped to hug David and visit.  It was all just really awesome to be here and walk where David walked, embracing those he embraced.   These moments were all golden.  They are over now, part of the Royal family history. That part of our trip is now sadly behind us, although David has made plans to have a former mission companion, Elder Matchuay, who resides in Lima (and who returned home three months ago) pick us up at the airport in Lima tomorrow morning.  (David is constantly on the phone making arrangements lately.)  Well, it is very late.  I am extremely tired although I admit to entertaining thoughts of staying up all night . . . just because I can.  I really should at least attempt to get some rest.  I will not have to count sheep to reach the point of slumber tonight (which will be challenging, because we have some live band playing outside the hotel across the street), because I will be busy counting blessings - and they are innumerable.

David with Hermana Rosalina and Shelly