Oops I’m on a date? No, I wasn’t on a date. Sandy (pictured above at the look out over San Bartolo, which is behind her) and I watched the sunset from one of the lookout points in San Bartolo, took a walk by the Pacific Ocean, and eventually bought some ice cream. I got chocolate and she got picante, which means hot (but it was actually cherry). All this might sound like a date, but it really wasn’t. Let me tell you what really happened and how it started. I was hanging out with everyone watching people skate at the local skatepark when I spotted some beautiful clouds starting to gather in the sunset. Then on my way to go shoot the sunset, I ran in to Sandy, and I asked her if she wanted to come with me to shoot pictures. So, we went up the hill together and photographed the sunset and then continued towards the ocean to get some different angles and perspectives of the sunset. It was pretty awesome. We had some basic chats, nothing extensive due to me only knowing a little spanish and her only speaking spanish. Then, once the sun had dipped below the horizon, we started to head back to the house. But first we stopped for some ice cream and soda. And after that, we joined everyone back at the house to watch the movie WALL:E. The perfect ending to the perfect evening.

I wish I could give you more info about Sandy, but I know very little. I know she is from Cusco (where Manchu Picchu is located). She lives here at a private home in the beach town San Bartolo, Peru just a half hour drive southwest of Lima. When Brad and I first arrived on Sunday, Sandy was the one of the first kids to make me feel at home with her warm personality by picking on me and chatting with me. Sandy is one of about 10-12 kids who live in the private home here in San Bartolo run by Lucy Borja. Lucy originally had two homes: one in Lima and one in San Bartolo. However, due to reasons I cannot understand and know little about, both homes have been closed. And about 200-250 kids have been sent back to live on the streets. Currently, Lucy is fighting in court to be able to reopen her homes and get the kids back into a safe environment. It’s really hard to understand why all these kids had to go back out in to the streets after Lucy has worked so hard over the past ten years to create a safe home for them. I suppose Sandy is a fortunate girl, being that she still lives in the private home (which I believe was opened after the home in San Bartolo was recently closed) here in San Bartolo. If you wish to read more information about the kids here in San Bartolo, please click on Lucy’s name to the right:  Lucy Borja