I live very close to the school, the health post, and the regional government office, all places where I work. Therefore, I can simply walk to work every day. However, when I need to buy food or supplies. I have to take a “colectivo,” which is a shared taxi to the main town (30 minutes away). Other people get in the taxi along the way. When I work in the more remote or rural towns, I have to pay a taxi driver to take me there because they are far away and cover dirt roads. Every once in a while, I travel to the capital city, called Lima, which is 4 hours away. In order to get there, I take a public bus, which costs me about $5.
Summer is very hot in my town, and can last 6 months! Some days reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and there is a lot of humidity because we are close to the ocean. I like to wear shorts and a lightweight t-shirt in the summer. None of the buildings or homes have air conditioning, and some do not even have fans. So be prepared for the heat! The other half of the year is what we call winter, although the coldest it ever gets is around 50 degrees. But, none of the homes have heating either, so you have to bundle up with lots of blankets at night. During the day, I will usually wear jeans and a sweatshirt, with a long coat. Winter here can be very cloudy and gray, with light sprinkles of rain at night. Because we also don’t use dryer machines here, you have to leave your clothes outside to dry, but you have to remember to bring them back in at night so they don’t get wet again!
