Thanks Becca (Quinn) for another great update from the guys working hard in Lima:

Day 11
It was time to perform again! After a few more days of practice we felt more prepared for our next routines in groups of 2 and 3 with dances ranging from disco to mambo. The show went well everybody getting their most difficult moves spot on! Though some feel their dignity went out the window a while back but the audience seemed to enjoy it! The grand finale, after the scores were revealed, was finding out our new dances. Look forward to seeing dances on the theme of salsa, country, rock and roll and cumbia. When we got back home we rewarded ourselves, or should we say Alex and Iza did, with Kladdkaka (a swedish gooey, yummy chocolate cake).

Day 12
Fiestas Patrias! Happy Peruvian Independence day! We began construction on the new house for a mother with 4 children, the youngest being 6 months old and the oldest was 17. Their house burnt down a year and a half ago and they lived in a tent for 9 months before the community lent them a small 1 room house which had a very steep ladder to get in. We managed to get 4 walls and a frame finished in one, quite an increase in pace from the first one. In the evening the celebrations began with a barbecue chicken wings, burgers, sweet potato and beef pieces. We drank some beers in the Peruvian way, we all sat in a circle and passed a bottle and a glass round pouring as little or as much as we wanted, drinking it as quickly as we could to ‘salud’ (to good health). Then we had a bit of a dance party, as well as finding out the music to our dances for next week.

Day 13
A house can be built in two days! With the walls, windows and door completed, painted and set up ready to be moved to its new location. The sun came out and Mr. Blue Sky paid us a brief visit which was a welcome break from the ever present mist and drizzle.

Day 14
A busy day all round. In the morning we prepared for the Saturday fair making flyers and checklists, preparing games, and creating posters on a Flower Power theme! Then, while we were waiting for transport to turn up, the Sun came out once again and was there to stay! We did a bit of sun bathing and got a volley ball going after a failed first attempt where one of the balls landed on a spikey fence. Opps. Then we went to the plot of land where the house was due to be installed. There was no help from government relection painters this time and we had to carry 6 walls, 2 doors and 4 window shutters up a dirt track and up steep stairs. Even with 4 to a wall they were hard to maneuver up the narrow path and steps but we succeded and since there was no house to knock down or posessions to negotiate around the house was put into place and installed relatively quickly. Then it was off back home dance practise and packing for our well needed break.

Day 15
Early start, with us getting up quarter to four to get in a taxi, once we had woke the taxi drivers up, to go to the bus station to catch our 5 hour bus ride, luckily some slept through it but others were not so fortunate with wonderfully dubbed spanish movies blaring throughout. Huacachina was worth it though. The bluest skies we had ever seen and glorious sunshine greeted us. Huacachina is an oasis, legend has it that a woman cried to create the lake that the town is centred around and she lives in the lake still as a mermaid keeping it there with her tears. It has the appearence of a lake in the centre of the valley as the dunes were tall enough to give mountains a run for their money (on a personal note I never thought I’d be surprised by sand again but my word). After checking in at our wonderful hostel we had lunch and went for a wonder around the lake, some of us getting braids in our hair. At five o’clock it was time for dune bugging and sand boarding. Dune bashing aint got nothing on this, we had strap ourselves in like a rollercoaster! The dunes were so huge it was like the Alps were made of sand, totally aproppriate for sand boarding. Its more difficult then it looks and nothing like snow boarding but it was a whole lot of fun. We went out for dinner and went to sleep in real beds!

Day 16
All good things must come to end. We had a last minute shopping spree and had lunch at a restaurant that had the most wonderful chocolate brownies. Then we began our journey back and went to sleep.