Travelling With The Children: Huanchaco Beach

Huanchaco Beach Resort

Living on the road is as expected challenging. This is for many differnet reason. Being away from your home surroundings means that unless you stay somewhere for a period of time you are never quite relaxed. Trying to plan ahead has proved the most challenging and has caused the most heated discussions (and sulks!). We only really have the guidebooks opinion on the places we are thinking about seeing and ofcourse the book is limited by the number of words allocated by the editor.
Each day is loaded with hurdles to jump in the form of language, culture and financial barriers each of which need careful thought. We´re trying to barter, but it is made difficult by language and the fact that we have no real idea of what is a reasonable price. John suffered the consequences of going too low, when having waited 10 minutes for a taxi to stop, it promptly drove off again after John´s attempt to barter the price obviously got too low! We have managed to schedule time for ´school´each day and the children are settling down to work, now that they realise that we mean business! There is something wonderful about being able to do the work outside in the fresh air.
Yesterday Joe managed to involve himself in a game of football with the local children which was wonderful to watch. Even the passing locals stopped and smiled as if recognising the significance of children and their lack of barriers, language or otherwise. We are of course the ´Gringos´ John is about 4 feet taller then most men (and boy does he know about it when he tries to sit in the combi collectivos, as hehas to scrunch himself up quite tightly to fit in!). We are stared at constantly especally because we have the children with us. I will never again stare at anybody - I know how it feels now. But mainly we have met lovely people all curious to know who we are and where we are from.
Sometimes John and I stop and realise that we have another 350 odd days to go. This feels mamouth, unreal and far too challenging to look at for long. One day at a time for the moment. Later on today we hope to board the bus to the border between Peru and Equador (again with a degree of the fear of the unknown). Poor Joe has suffered an upset stomach, so we may have to tough out the beach resort for a couple more days! Que sera sera!

TRAVELLING WITH THE CHILDREN