It's been nearly three months since I last posted. There is nothing that prevented me from writing, other than a lack of inspiration. The political scene is still kids in a sandbox. The Republican Party is still in shambles, with many of the prominent leaders continuing to genuflect at Trump's knee. The 'personal freedom' and 'facts be damned' country crackers are still touting their conspiracy theories, apparently forgetting or more likely ignoring that theories are called theories because they're not factually substantiated.
On the bright side, I'm starting to like what I'm hearing from Mike Pence. I've viewed him as a Trump puppet these last five years but it looks like he's establishing himself as his own man. I would like nothing more than to see him develop an election platform based on reason, truth, and looking at the needs of the country rather than partisan politics; a platform that the party could come together to support.
Georgia's 14th congressional district is up for grabs in May. The infamous Margorie Taylor Green presently holds that office. On Graysville Road for about a two-block stretch there are signs on both sides of the road reading: "Flood the poles! Vote Margorie Taylor Green! Save America!" People...what the hell are you thinking? What reasoning are you using that could possibly agree with and support her words and actions? ARGH! Okay, enough.
I just returned from a month in Chiclayo, Peru. It was my first time back in five years. I thought that it would feel strange but it didn't at all. From the moment I got off the plane in Chiclayo it felt as if I had never left. Our house was waiting for us and it took no time at all to unpack and settle in. The primary reason we were there was to celebrate Maribel's father's 91st birthday. The entire family had assembled except for two of Maribel's brothers who were unable to get off from work in Lima. It felt really good to see these folks again, and Maribel's father is probably in better shape than I am.
One thing I wasn't prepared for is the effect that Covid has had on daily life in Peru. The Chiclayo airport has large plastic shields between each seat, and enforces social distancing. Wearing masks is mandatory everywhere outside of the home, including on the streets. If the mask is a KN95 only one is required. If not, two masks are mandatory. In the four weeks there I saw maybe three people without masks. The first two vaccine shots are mandatory, and the booster probably soon will be. To enter any business, government building, restaurant, bank, or one of Chiclayo's two enclosed malls you must present a vaccination card and the Peruvian National Identification Card (DNI) to enter. Security guards will not let you in without them. Some businesses even insist that an employee spray your hands with alcohol upon entering. The bottom line is that without that vaccination card you can't function...can't even buy groceries.
Public transportation has been heavily impacted. Taxies, combies and busses have been required to restrict the number of passengers and to take protective measures. Taxies for example, are limited to three passengers; one in front and two in back whereas in the past it was common to jam in as many people as possible. As shown in the photo below, a plastic shield must separate the front from the back and masks must be worn.
Several bus companies have either temporarily scaled back or completely shut down their operations, being unable to afford the protective modification and loss of passengers. I would like to have seen the United States take the same hardline stance early on. I think that many lives would have been saved. On the downside, conspiracy theorists are world wide. Many Peruvians have not had the booster shot. I heard discussions, even among our own family members that they would not have gotten the vaccinations had they not been mandatory, and will not get the booster because they believe that, "...the governments are experimenting with us." I didn't bother to ask what evidence they had.
Regarding the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo has not taken a stance, other than saying he would like to see peace. The people and news media feel much more strongly about it. La Republica is a major Peruvian newspaper, and the article shown below is indicative of public opinion and other media outlets. The words on Putin's forehead say, "The War has Your Name."
Before and upon arrival we'd been told that crime had gotten much worse in Chiclayo. Though we traveled throughout the city and several nearby towns we saw no criminal activity. During my nine years of living in Chiclayo I developed a sense of when I was being targeted as a possible theft victim, and saw no indication of that on this trip.
It was a good visit and I'm very happy that I went. Seeing the old sights, seeing friends and family again was well worth the effort. In fact, Maribel and I even enjoyed the travel part of it...didn't mind the airports with the long ticketing, customs, and immigration lines, or the flights themselves. It felt like an adventure. I will do it again. In the mean time, I took a ton of photos from which I will select a limited number and put them in presentation order to show to our friends, hopefully without boring them to death.
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