Dirt Roads

(from luke's perspective)
We made it to Peru! We took quite a few modes of transport to get here, mainly because we decided to take the dirt roads: the ones that sometimes don't show up on the maps we have. The route began in Vilcabamba Ecuador, headed south in the back of a few pick-up trucks, then onto a bus-that-used-to-be-a-Pepsi-delivery-truck, then across the border to a shared taxi, on to another shared taxi, into a moto taxi, then a big van, and a bus, and a few more busses, i think. The main pass through the Andes was on a road that took us 200 kilometers in about, uh, 9 hours. Every corner that the bus went around was preceded by a loud honk, the kind that says "i'm coming around the corner, and there is not enough room for you" (whether a car, animal, or person). One lane, no guard rail, and some tremendous sights out the window. We have now ended in the town of Huanchaco- a beach town in the Peruvian desert after crossing mountains, hiking to Gocta waterfalls (770 meters tall), wandering markets, and eating our fair share of mangos (just now coming into season) and avocados.



Gocta Falls, Peru

We have learned that when taking the dirt roads, a different side of a country shows. These were the places that have always been less accessible and visible to the tourists. We are reminded of the way that many areas of the world live- their poverty and hurt unseen. Whether it was a 7 year old shoe shiner, asking for money for his brother with cephalitis, or the grandma begging for change, or the brothers selling Chicle in the Chinese restauraunt, looking over the large platters of food; hurt can't be ignored. They have asked for money for so long that their request is mumbled- they instead ask with their eyes. Part of me wants to "play God" for a while- give all the money I have away, because it's tiring to be the privileged ones, no matter where we go. But I won't do that. I am comforted to know that the good news of Jesus is that he is there in the suffering of his family and he doesn't ask us to carry that burden.

For me, I think a better start is to experience it and let my heart be changed, then let my heart lead my actions. The greatest problem might be that we so easily insulate ourselves away from the pain that goes on everywhere around us. For some strange reason, Kat and I have the chance to be Bohemians Benditos- blessed to roam around for a time and take the beauty and the pain in with open eyes- to let both impact us. We will continue with open eyes here as we travel. We look for dirt roads to take us to places that have many stories and experiences to show us. We will allow our hearts to be impacted, and we will be changed.


the road, etched into the mountain side, near Chachapoyas, Peru