from tacalomas.

I have some friends who live up and out of the city a bit, above Cocha's electricity and water. It's a simple life that I'd be happy to live...to leave behind all the chaos of the city. And really, who needs running water?

But there's a fine line between simplicity and poverty, and for the folks up there, the simple life isn't an option. It's the only thing they can afford.

They're good people, and I love spending time with them. I try to stop in every week or so, and I've built good friendships with 4 of the families. They give me potatoes from their farms, and I give them figs from my tree. I normally sit and chat with the ladies while they cook, or I play with kids with the kids. Occasionally, I hike up the hill with Dona Maria to graze her sheep.

One of the families that I'm friends with is a single mom with two boys and a newborn baby. She's young and struggling to make a living selling carrot juice for 1 Boliviano a glass in the market for about 10 hours a day.

Her oldest boy has become the man of the house and takes care of his younger brother. He gets up early and goes to a school up the hill on the other side of the valley. It's a daily journey that requires taking 2 buses and hiking a bit. After school, he either makes his way home, or he goes into the market to hangout with his mom. The 3 year old boy will go with his mom into the market somedays, but other days, he'll stay at home by himself until his older brother makes it home from school.

And now there's a one month old baby in the picture. And to make matters even more complicated, the mom doesn't really speak Spanish, just Quechua. So her kids are our little translators.

This coming week, we're going to enroll the 3 year old in a daycare near where his mom works. It'll only be for part of the day, but it's better than him sitting around in the market or being left home alone for 5 or 6 hours. I'm trying to help with one situation at a time.