Day 4: All the way South to Peru. Around the World in 80 Days

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Day 4: Headed South to Lima, Peru

Destination: Villa Maria del Triunfo, Lima, Peru

Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru, is located about 8 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Interestingly, Peru is a desert city at 550 feet above sea level and never experiences real rainfalls, but only drizzles. Villa Maria del Triunfo is a neighborhood on the outskirts of Lima.

Fun Facts: The Spanish word for "lime" is Lima, and

"limes" in Peru are those yellow, thick-skinned lemons you put into your tea. "Lemons" are the tiny green fruits we call "limes".

Also: All dogs wear clothing in Lima all the time; sundresses on sunny days, maybe a coat and little booties on cold days or tee-shirts when the weather is nice. Even some stray dogs have sweaters in the winter. And many dogs can be seen wearing jerseys of the soccer team their owner supports.

Art Form: Arpillero Children's Sweaters

For years the whimsical applique work and bright colors of the children's sweaters we carry from Peru have enchanted us each time a shipment arrives. Each sweater is one-of-kind even though they have similar elements.

Our trip to Peru takes us to a barrio outside Lima where our friends from Inter-American Trading Company support both the "artesanos" who do the knitting and a parish school that provides the best hope for a better future.

Villa Maria del Triunfo, the barrio we're visiting

is a"barrio joven" or newer neighborhood. In 1971 it was only a vast, empty sand flat but grew in response to the needs of immigrant families who had fled their homes in central Peru because of terrorism and instability.

"Barrios jovenes" start with simple huts made with straw mats for walls and corrugated sheets as roofs with few city

services.

Knitting and applique work like on

these sweaters has a tremendous impact on individual lives. Over 50% of the people in Peru make at least part of their income from the sale of some kind of craft work. The development and support of Fair Trade craft cooperatives are essential to improvement of life for these artesans.

Peru has the longest continuous history of textile production in the world, going back almost 10,000 years. Invented long before pottery and just as humans started agriculture, Peruvian fiber manipulation began with simple spun fibers and then cords and nets. By around 500 AD this rudimentary craft had developed into complex weaving, employing practically every technique known today.

The specific applique work on the children's sweaters is similar to the traditional "arpilleras" - hand-sewn, three-dimensional textile pictures that illustrate the stories of the lives of the women of the shantytowns like Villa Maria del Triunfo.

This applique work added to a soft sweater is a celebration of life and children.

Images courtesy of InterAmerican Trading.

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"Collect" at least 12 different "country" stamps during the first 20 days of our around-the-world trip to be entered into the drawing for a $25 gift card.

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Thanks for traveling with us today.

Where to next? Stay tuned!

Our trip today included a 18-hour plane flight to get to Peru. From the desert of Albuquerque to the desert of Lima. How is it that I always thought Lima was at a higher altitude? I hope you are learning some new information as we travel along. If you haven't already done so, invite some friends to come along! There's still room on this journey!

As I traveled through the Brookside area delivering some customer packages to front porches and the post office, it was delightful to see many neighbors out on lawns and sidewalks. Two couples were sitting a safe distance apart, visiting and eating ice cream. One family was eating on their front lawn but visiting with neighbors across the street who were sitting in the open back of their SUV. On his run, our nephew passed our neighborhood bagpiper ready to serenade people scattered on street corners. I love how people are finding ways to absolutely be social while still "physical distancing."

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