Peru is in the Jungle and Off the Grid

Dear OGers–

The illustrious Peru: Amazon Adventure team has headed deep into the jungle for the week, venturing where no cell phone service or internet provider has gone before.  This leaves me with the exciting opportunity to write a blog for them, keeping y’all up to date with the amazing things they’ve been getting up to.

I am writing from my cooler-than-outside basement in the 40+ humidex which is sweltering Toronto, sipping an iced latte and having just played the sweatiest game of tennis in World History.  Life is beautiful here, as it is proving to be all around the world from this week’s blogs, but I have to say a big part of me would love to be slummin’ it in the jungle with the Peru Crew.  Here’s what they’ve gotten up to since last they wrote:

Similar to Toronto, Peru is HOT.  Oppressive.  Near-unbearable.  Scalding HOT.  Once the sun comes up at 7 am, it’s a constant battle and search for shade.  Along with learning many new things about Peru, Spanish, development, and each other, the team is learning all about the places they didn’t know they could sweat from.  Valuable life lessons.

Last week the team painted two beautiful murals.  One has all the flags of the world and the other depicts the diversity of Peru.  A few girls especially put a lot of effort into getting this project accomplished and the community will be looking at a symbol of OG and smiling for many years to come.

Little monkey-like children have also been jumping, swinging, and playing on a rope ladder which OG installed in the community.  Unfortunately, due to the government not stepping up and some weather issues, the team was not able to totally finish the large park quite yet.  All the elements of a ropes course, tetherball, tire tubes, benches and much more have been constructed and they are waiting for some machines to even out the land.

HOWEVER, like the awesome OGers they are–and all the teams are proving to be this summer–OG: AA have decided to cut their Independent Travel Time short by 2 days to come back and finish the park.  I, for one, can’t wait to hear all about the finished product and see some pictures of these monkey-like children frolicking all over their new playground.

Sporting events can sometimes bring people together in a way nothing else can.  I still remember sitting in a crowded bar in Mudete, Kenya cheering on Barcelona as they beat Manchester U in the 2009 Champion’s League Final.  Standing up and shouting at every goal or near-miss made me feel right at home with every single person in the standing room only bar.

You could never gather all the similar stories from OGers around the world, but the Amazon Adventure team had the opportunity to watch Peru advance to the semifinals of the Copa America last week, beating Colombia in extra time.  (Sorry, Dan and his Cartel!) The country literally stopped and everyone went insane when they won.  Kinda like when Canada won gold at the Olympics except with more sweat and reggaeton playing in the background.

And everything’s better with reggaeton, no?

Cheers from Toronto, writing for Peru: AA.  Can’t wait to hear stories from the Jungle.

Peace,

Nathan (OG Logistics Liason and General Bad Ass)