I´m in southern Peru, and after a harrowing ride on a coastal road with mudslides and rocks the size of refrigerators falling, I am glad to be a little inland in Tacna. I wasn´t able to talk to any schools in Lima, but this week in Arequipa and Tacna, I have talked to four university classes and about nine high school groups, along with 5 radio shows, 1 newspaper, three churches and an environmental group. It´s feast or famine.

The environmental group wants to stop work on their municipal water supply to divert it to a new mining venture. They are composed of 20 community groups and are just getting started. I said I would try to find resources for them. Anyone know of someone that can help with information, legal help and or funds?

I´m a little worried about crossing the border on MOnday. Oh well. Only one border crossing cost me a fine so far. I just tell them I´m teaching their students, and I look sort of like an old teacher. Most young men have a hard time trying to figure out how to approach an old school marm. I hope it works this time. I can´t wait to do my last border crossing. In Chile I have contacts with three groups in Iquique and more in Santiago and the south. I also can´t wait to get rid of this truck! I have had my fill of being a gypsy.

A special thanks to Jose Lopez, Rogelio Ramos, and Florentino Ramos of Tacna, who are clerk and pastors of two of the five Quaker churches in Tacna. I had wonderful meals with their families, too. They got me connections and accompanied me everywhere. All the places I spoke were because of them. It was so nice to have such great connections and company. I was actually thinking about staying an extra day, but Jose insisted I have cat soup at his mothers, so I thought maybe it was time to go to Chile. Chile! I can´t believe I´m going to be there. There was a great deal of interest in having a forum of appropriate technology here in Tacna, so that makes five possible forums next year. Yipes!

Quick update……..11-20-2009
Well, here I am in Arica. It turns out an agriculture inspector at the border was in the post graduate class I taught in Tacna on Friday, so the Customs guy wasn´t so hard on me. He called the guy in Tumbes in the north who confirmed I had approval for the extension, and that I had had to leave Lima before getting the orginal. He made copies of what I had and let me go through. I was so relieved.

Today Wlliam took me and Jose to some caves on coast, to a beautiful beach, to the Morro hill with a fabulous view. The coast reminds me of the big Sur area, and makes me homesick.