Notes

A couple of things:
1. Some more new pictures of Carhuaz are going up--you can get to them by clicking on the (same) picture in the sidebar.
2. I took some of the links to my older photo albums down, but you can still get to those albums by clicking on the one photo link, then looking at the new albums at the photo web site.
3. I love the pineapple soda, especially when it's not adulterated with rancid goat blood.
4. Aubrey, just because I want to rub it in--I want you to know, I'm staying at the most expensive hotel in town again (I didn't plan it that way--every other place was full), and although it's a little more expensive here in Peru, it's still only costing me $26/night. Breakfast's included. Breakfast includes homemade bread.

So, I got in a couple of more interviews in today--two or three, depending on what you call an "interview." The line gets pretty fuzzy sometimes. But I talked to two people in the muni, including the municipal public relations official.

Yeah, you read that right. This primarily agricultural rural Peruvian town, where 70% of the population lives below the (Peruvian) poverty line and 40% of the population is considered malnourished has a PR guy. And some glossy brochures to back him up. They also have a tourism official who only speaks Spanish. Go figure.

So, perhaps my new found Anarcho-Communitarian belief system is losing some of its luster. I kid, of course. I'm a revolutionary syndicalist.

Anyways, although the people at the muni. are plenty nice, they are also extremely vague. And their vagueness seems to correspond rather nicely to the story that all of the citizens and community leaders I've talked to so far have told me--that the mayor and his people aren't doing a good job.

There is, however, a possible explanation for this that might be a little bit more optimistic. Maybe he's doing works out in the rural areas. And maybe this is an interest group story--maybe his constituency is the rural population. That certainly is what he's claiming. Of course, the muni's glossy brochure is also taking credit for the ATM installed in the Plaza de Armas by the Banco Comercial de Peru. Hmm...

Anyways, I need to get out into the boonies here, anyways, including possibly making a trip to nearby Vicos, Peru, of Ron Brunner fame. Time to see what a Laswellian paradise really looks like. In theory, there should also be a Peace Corps volunteer wandering around out there somewhere as well, working in agriculture. I should look him up. Just what I need.