My last Saturday in Huancayo, Mabel wanted to take Doane and I to the Hot Springs, but it would have been a whole day ordeal and I wasn't feeling up for that. Instead we decided everyone would go to the swimming pool. I was supposed to teach Angela and Pilar how to swim, but once we got there, I started to feel ill. I had started feeling under the weather before we left, but had thought I would pull through at the pool. Leslie had been telling us about horror stories of how volunteers had gotten really sick at the pool. My impending illness, Leslie's warning, and the fact that we would have had to wear swimcaps led me to take a cab home. I ate a snack and then took a long nap. When I woke up, everyone was back in the house. Doane and I wanted to take the family out to dinner, but when we suggested the place that we had gone for Ylfa's birthday, Tino said we should go to Norky's instead because it was cheaper and tastier. He was right about the cheaper bit, but not about the tastier bit. I still wasn't feeling 100 percent, so that might have made me more picky as well, but I didn't like how the chicken was seasoned and the fries were undercooked. Blah. Mabel wanted to go to karaoke, but I just wanted to sleep. Doane said he'd go with her, but they came right back out because there was a long wait for a table. Karaoke's big in Huancayo, I tell you!!!
On Saturday, Doane and I took Mabel to Detras de la Catedral for lunch. I got my usual: lomo saltado and lucuma juice. Mabel's lomo saltado arrived later and so the owner of the restaurant told us he would serve us a mate (an infusion or tea) at no charge. It was really yummy. Mabel helped me eat panqueques for dessert, while Doane tried a chocolate cake. Mabel parted ways with us after lunch since she had a singing exam later that she had to practice for, but also because she doesn't get along well with Leslie and Doane and I were planning to stop by Leslie's store to say "hola." We spent a little bit of time talking to Leslie and poking around her shop before we left for the Sunday market. We spent longer than I thought we would there and came back a bit late to the house. We spent the rest of the afternoon packing. Mari had made us pachamanca a la olla for our special last night's dinner. It was so good and we were all laughing at Angela because she couldn't stop raving over the beef. She stole Mari's piece of beef from her plate when she went back into the kitchen. Mari just laughed because usually she has a hard time getting Angela to eat and she was eating everything up and then licking her fingers loudly. She wanted to steal Pilar's meat from her plate since she was upstairs finishing some homework before she came down for dinner, but we managed to keep Angela away. :) After dinner, Mari came to see me in the living room and asked me to choose one of two blankets to take with me. Her father had woven them. She told me that many volunteers come and go from their house, but some are really special like me. She said I had not only helped the children at the school, but that I had helped her family and that meant so much to her. She really touched my heart. I gave her a big hug.
The next morning as I was getting all my things together, Tino came to say goodbye early. He had to go take care of some business for the school. He thanked me for all the work I had done and gave me a hug. That morning, I wrote a note to everyone I was close to in the house: Mari, Mabel, Lorenza, Angela, Pilar, Leslie, and Tino. I gave Mabel her note as she was preparing breakfast and she didn't want to take it. She knew it meant that I was leaving. I gave Angela and Pilar theirs as they were eating breakfast before they left for school. They both gave me a hug. Pilar put it in her uniform and said she was going to read it at school. I gave Mari her note as well as the notes for Tino and Leslie as Doane and I were eating breakfast. The taxi came right away after Mari called, so Doane and I were forced to hurry out the door. It was probably better that way. I gave Lorenza her note and gave her a big hug as I made my way out. She told me not to go. I gave Mari and Mabel both hugs as the taxi driver was loading our suitcases in the back. We were all trying hard not to cry. Mabel didn't want to let go. It was really emotional. Doane asked if I was okay when I got in the cab as I wiped away my tears.
We made it with plenty of time to the bus station and while we were waiting to board the bus, Mari came into the bus station. She was there to pick up a girl who was going to take weaving lessons. We gave her another hug and told the girl that she was going to love it there. On the bus we mostly just slept, ate, played bingo, and watched bad movies. Doane was taping some of our ride with his video camera and was trying to get an instance when the bus driver passed another car or bus in a fashion that made you sit on the edge of your seat hoping we'd successfully pass without getting into an accident.
When we arrived at the bus station in Lima, Josselyn, Blenda's sister, was waiting for me with her baby, Micaela. I introduced her to Doane, and then said goodbye to him as we went our separate ways. After dropping my stuff off at their apartment, Josselyn, Estefenia, and Micaela accompanied me to the supermarket where we bought ingredients to make lomo saltado and also bought Pisco and Inka Cola. We ate, talked, and I repacked some of my things. I tried to sleep a bit before Daniel, Blenda's brother, came to pick me up at 1 AM to take me to the airport with Doris, Blenda's mother. Next stop, Cancun...
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