-
Deadly Negligence: Peru’s Red Cross & Cold Deaths in Andes
At last count (mid August), 514 Peruvians had died of pneumonia brought on by extreme cold this year, most of them children under five. Most reasonable people would call that an emergency. Not Peru’s Red Cross, however. In a bulletin issued August 4, 2009, the Peruvian Red Cross (PRC) issued a general statement about the cold deaths in Puno, noting the low temperatures, the rise in pneumonia cases and the deaths of “113” children (a number much lower than that cited by other news sources in early August). After low-balling the number of deaths, the bulletin explained that the PRC “has been assisting the affected people with medicines, blankets and food items. Additionally, the…
-
How to (Maybe) Cure a Lima Chest Cold
El Fotografo can't kick this chest cold he's been suffering from for three weeks. Not even the schlep to Santa Eulalia last weekend could knock it out of his system. So I decided to try a home remedy on him that I read about in Suite 101. Now EF's lying in bed swathed in poultices and blankets, just four feet away from me, and the room reeks of Indian food.
-
Desperately Seeking Sunlight
Valley of Santa Eulalia, Peru, which has sun, big rocks and amazing avocado ice cream There is no sun in Lima during the South American winter. No shifting light. No shadows. No way to tell 8 a.m. from 5 p.m. Just a flat grey sky that stays put, like lint in the dryer basket. I wrote about this yesterday in “Panzo de Burro” and now I’m at it again. This week I’m writing about the weather in Lima because it defines the city. And like many elemental things, it goes unnoticed but influences nearly everything. The sunless Lima winter is strange, bordering on freakish. Surviving a Lima winter is like living on another…
You May Also Like
Deadly Negligence: Peru’s Red Cross & Cold Deaths in Andes
-
“Panza de Burro”: The Donkey-grey Sky of Lima
The sun disappears almost completely. The sky is the same dead grey color, from 8 in the morning to 6 at night. A strange weather condition called garua invades the city. Garua is a damp, cold mist that hangs in the air like a cobweb and turns the sidewalks into slippery deathtraps. It never truly rains, however, so the dirt and soot don't wash away. Buildings, plants, cars, street signs – everything is covered in layers of dust (polvo) made moist by the garua. Humidity levels climb during winter, intensifying the cold. As the months wear on, the chilly humidity creeps into the marrow of your bones, until you feel…
You May Also Like
Deadly Negligence: Peru’s Red Cross & Cold Deaths in Andes
-
Winter Is…Chompa Time in Lima
It’s June 4, and that means winter here in Lima. Back in northern Florida, where we lived for six years, I’d be wearing short and turning on the AC this time of year. Strange to be pulling out the winter jackets and wool pants, but I have to: Lima esta frio! (Did I mention? None of the houses here has central heating. It’s like centuries of building practices have passed the country by.) To stay warm, Limenos pile on layers of shirts and chompas. The stores are full of them now, made of alpaca and sheep’s wool. The big department store Sagafallabella is pushing chompas like crazy. When you walk in the entrance…
