All about La Molina
Mariana Gledhill from Wellington, N.Z spent 7 months in Peru in 2005 doing voluntary work. She shares her experiences.
Hi All
I am still living in La Molina and enjoying myself greatly! I had better talk about La Molina. La Molina is probably one of the safest places in Lima. It is quiet, secure and all of it looks pretty much the same- doors made of beautiful woods, carefully tended green grass and checkpoints seemingly everywhere. Getting lost in La Molina would be a nightmare. Unlike most parts of Lima, there are no street venders here, only residents.
Since last writing I have been a bit unwell, but I am all better now. My host mother keeps feeding me chips because she is worried about the weight I have lost. But she should not worry. Her cooking should make it all better.
Yesterday, I went to a beach called Santa Maria, which was very beautiful. There were heaps of people there. Well off Limeños often go there during the weekends, but the there were no poor people bathing because access is limited. The area outside Lima is sandy dry and dusty desert. I still go to school each day but I have been moved up a class so I am less bored, and actually learning stuff. Pollution in Lima was the topic today. I go to school on a bus which is very crowded, and hot. Jean Michel from France and I go on this bus together but we cannot talk much because he only speaks French, I only speak English and he speaks less Spanish than me! Hopefully we will be able to talk in Spanish soon and get to know each other properly.
I was told that there were a lot of beggars in Peru but to be quite frank, I have not found this to be true. People sell a range of things of the streets. They buy them cheaply and sell them to passers by. Sometimes they gives speeches on the buses and collect pennies for their thoughts. Other times they sing and play instruments but I have seen more beggars in Wellington than here. People don’t expect something for nothing! They are innovative about earning money to
sustain their livelihoods and I have not seen anyone begging here at all. Maybe my travels have been limited but I have not encountered beggars. Venders, yes, beggars no.
I am not homesick or culture shocked yet, there are too many other things to be and too many other things to discover. Even going to the supermarket is interesting for me because there are so many new fruits and veges that are not available where I live. They are shaped differently and their names are wide ranging. There is a tuna fruit. I like pepitos, a melon type fruit with white and purple skin.
Look after yourselves
Mariana
