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Settling in

Today was a day to get errands done. First, it was wash day. Of course, we don't have a machine, the fathers send it out and it comes back in a week. I don't even have 2 week's worth of clothes at home! Fortunately, the postulants (those just looking into the order) also live here, and they was their clothes by hand. So I used their space while they were at classes and did a fine job if I do say so myself. (but then it is probably good that I brought gray t-shirts instead of white. Always planning ahead.)

Next, I wanted to get use of a local internet service here. After six hours, 10 phone calls, and a trip to the bank (in shorts because by pants were still drying, and no, no one wears shorts here in winter) I finally got one. It took less time for Al Gore to make the internet itself. The bright side is that I got to practice a lot of spanish and learn about how we do things here in Peru (with patience).

I am also starting to get to know the town. We live right on the Alameda, the street with music. Every night groups play in the amphitheaters spread down the street, which is really great. I can watch them out my window. Actually, they "appropriated" land from the dominicans to build the new Alameda. Now we get to park the cars a half mile away, but we get music long into the night. Such a deal. It doesn't keep me awake, but it is so noisy here that there is no way I can hear my alarm in the morning. No problem... I'm on vacation, right? I also got to visit the Franciscan church here. It is a lot like ours, but they are richer (of course) and have turned most of it into a real museum with tours. The most interesting part in that they have excavated part of their catacombs. Under the church there are rows and rows of bones liked up neatly all over the floor. They guess that about 25,000 people are buried under the church.

I'd show you a picture, but that was my next errand: to get an adapter plug for the camera. I never got there, so the camera is out of juice. The only picture you get is of a stained glass window in the stairwell outside my room of Martin de Porres, Rose of Lima, and Juan Masias, the three saints of this church. Didn't I promise you more about them later? Well, you'll still have to wait. I'm tired.

Two last notes: The mourning doves here have beautiful iridescent blue rings around their eyes and I saw the Southern Cross.

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