Old 1941-42 Chevy Woodie Found in Lima

Posted on September 7, 2015 by captainjack66

Diplomonkey utilizing his super-duper street smarts while driving through the bedlam, fondly known as regular Monday morning Lima traffic, turns right and then left to find quick and unobstructed passage. In the process, on a neighborhood backstreet he discovers a hidden rare gem.

So Diplomonkey dashes out of his aging, and less than trusty jeep, and into the mad traffic with nothing in his hand but his iPhone; wifie gasps, you are nuts – the risk is not worth the picture, get back in the jeep…its just another old truck. No, it looks like a 1941/42 half ton Chevrolet Campbell Woodie, blares out Diplomonkey.

Chevrolet Campbell Woodie

Okay, it was not all that dramatic after all since Diplomonkey safely pulled over to the side, parked the jeep, turn the hazards on, and applied the hand brake and then looked three times before crossing the street. If anything should happen to Diplomoneky, RSO would be so very, very sad – too much paperwork and cables galore.

But what a great surprise nonetheless on a Labor Day morning, what a cool story and find. Icing on the cake, or in this case the Alfajor, was the maroon Pontiac Le Mans 326 parked in front of the old Chevy.

Pontiac Le Mans 326

Ah the unexpected joys and wonders of life in the foreign service life. Who would have thought that you can even have fun while driving in Lima.

Enjoy the pictures; they are of relics from a time when vroom, vroom actually meant something….

Cheers from Lima!

Okay, So I’m a Slacker

Posted on September 2, 2015 by captainjack66

Diplomonkey has been slacker; no doubt about it. No new posts about assignment Lima/Quito in far too long. Have a slew of photos, but have been far too lazy/tired to write about my adventures.

So to make up for being such a slacker, old Diplomonkey will share some real cool photos taken today towards sunset today in Quito.

Cotopaxi Volcano #1 – Spewing Ash

Ecuador, and Quito in particular is one of Diplomonkey’s favorite haunts. It is a crazy, funky place where anything is possible.

Cotopaxi Volcano #2 – Ash Plume

Enjoy the photos, Diplomonkey certainly had fun taking these from the hotel. Enjoying the Nikon D2x.

Cotopaxi Volcano #3 – Snow Cap Is Melting

These are for Sam the Hamster.

Cheers from Quito!

Postcards from Peru – A Visit with the Yaguas

Posted on August 1, 2015 by captainjack66

The Diplomonkeys while exploring the Amazon, albeit from the comfort of their jungle lodge base camp, receive an invitation to spend the afternoon with the Yaguas. It’s only a quick 30-minute boat ride down the river to the village, but it is a world away in terms of differences.

Yagua Chief armed with Punaka (blowgun).

Yagua chief armed with a punaca (blowgun).

Yagua man armed with a punaca (blowgun).

Yagua girl and boy.

Diplomonkey looks forward to his meeting with one of the thirty or so Yagua communities scattered across Peru’s Amazon basin. Despite the encounter being a programmed activity, it is nonetheless an opportunity for the Diplomonkeys to interact with a people who for millennia have lived off the river and the forest.

Yaguas preparing a punaca (blowgun) demonstration.

Yagua chief.

An indigenous people, the origin of whose name today appears to come from the Spanish deformation of the Quechua yawar ruba or the “blood-red people,” they are sincere in their welcoming. The blood-red people moniker apparently comes from the Yaguas’ habit of painting their faces with achiote (seeds of the annatto plant).

Yagua man pulling darts from a punaca (blowgun) target.

Yaguas.

How different and special is this Amazon jungle. When compared to the concrete jungle in which we live, Diplomonkey thinks that green jungle is the better of the two.

Yagua girl with pet sloth.

Yagua woman.

For the little ones, as well as for the parents the Amazon represents spectacular sights, sounds, and even smells. It is a place of torrential downpours followed by gorgeous sunsets along the river. It is a place where the air resonates with the squeaks, squeals, and howls of untold insects, birds, and monkeys. Here the river is stocked with exotic fish and cavorting river dolphins. It is also a place of fresh, clean air characterized that by the welcoming odor of damp earth. Here even a tapir makes its way deftly through our camp in the evening.

Sunset on the Amazon river.

If you can, go and visit the Amazon. The dollars you spend are well spent. We discovered that they offer people an alternative to logging. If not, then try to spend some time in some other jungle of the non-concrete variety. You might be surprised by what is out there.

Logging barge running along the Amazon River heading to Iquitos.

Enjoy the pictures.

Cheers!

Postcard from Peru – Iquitos Street Scenes

Posted on July 29, 2015 by captainjack66

Okay little Dorothy, so Diplomonkey this time around is cheating with his latest chimping excursion. Diplomonkey took this batch of pictures of Peru’s Iquitos while on leave. Diplomonkey taking time off? Oh how scandalous, I do say little Dorothy – what is this world coming to!

Iquitos’ lively neighborhood of Belen – also known as the Amazon Venice.

Rushhour in downtown Iquitos (along Iron House supposedly designed by Gustave Eiffel).

Rushhour in downtown Iquitos (along the Iron House supposedly designed by Gustave Eiffel).

Iquitos is a really cool place to visit. Its hot and humid much like Miami, so Diplomonkey feels right at home. The people are however even nicer; always with a smile on their faces and not in too much of a rush. It seems that the pace of life, much like the Amazon river’s current, runs at 4-6 kilometers per hour.

Iquitos Street Scene #1

What Diplomonkey find really great about this island city in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon are the street scenes of people engaged in their daily activities.

Iquitos Street Scene #2

Yes, little Dorothy, Iquitos (capital of Peru’s Amazon) connects to the rest of the country only by air and the river; so if it is not manufactured or grown locally, it has to come in by plane or by boat (Pucallpa is a 4-7 days sail away). There are no roadways in or out of the city linking it with the rest of the country, giving Iquitos a surreal frontier town feel.

Iquitos Street Scene #3

Hope the pictures entices others to pay a visit. Nothing can beat the smell of oxygen rich air that permeates the city, nor a tropical downpour.

Cheers and more to follow from Peru!

Postcards from Ecuador – Old Glories in Guayaquil’s Old Town

Posted on July 25, 2015 by captainjack66

Another day, another crack of dawn departure this time for a flight down to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s commercial capital.

Guayaquil Old Town Street.

Diplomonkey on this trip is treated to not just to the usual slew of meetings and negotiations, oh what fun it is, but also gets the added treat of spending the Fourth of July celebration at one of oldest U.S. diplomatic posts in Latin America.

Diplomonkey understands that the United States and Gran Colombia (of which Ecuador was at that time a part) first established formal ties in 1824 through the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Navigation and Commerce, which allowed each country to appoint Consuls and Vice Consuls in the other’s ports. Our first Consul General was William Wheelwright, a shipwrecked sailor who had settled in Guayaquil and had later become a successful merchant. As the Consulate General’s website clarifies in the subsequent years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations, there have been no less than 59 Consuls General assigned to the Consulate in Guayaquil.

Quilted Old Glories.

At sunset it’s off to the Guayas’ riverfront for the event. But before heading into the venue, there is just enough time for a stroll through the remains of the old town waterfront and an opportunity to snap a couple of photos. It does make Diplomonkey however wonder if he is possibly walking in CONGEN’s Wheelwright’s footsteps, experiencing a modern version of some of the same sights.

Guayaquil’s Riverfront Battlement View #1.

Guayaquil’s Riverfront Battlement View #2.

Cheers.

Postcards from Ecuador – Climbing Wawa Pichincha Volcano

Posted on July 20, 2015 by captainjack66

Diplomonkey did not have anything better to do on his day off on his latest trip up to Quito than to go and climb a mountain, or in this case a volcano. That is, the Wawa (i.e., child in the Kichwa language) Pichincha volcano towering over the city.

Which BTW lasted erupted in October 1999, covering Quito in three inches of volcanic ash.

View of Quito – Cable Car drop off point at the 4,100 meter mark.

Chapel on the trail up to Ruku Pichincha.

The volcano is easy to reach from Quito via a cable car that will drop you off at the 4,100 meter mark. From there, you start climbing toward the Ruku Pichincha (i.e., old person in Kichwa) peak. The air is thin!

Riding down from Ruku Pichincha.

Next time Diplomonkey is up in Quito, and if time permits, he will get a horse and ride up to the caldera is style. Cool, warm ponchos are provided.

Pichincha Horse and corral at about 4,300 meters – will hire this one next time.

Dude running the trail down from Ruku Pichincha.

Enjoy the sights.

Cheers!

Postcards from Peru, Lurin: Have muddy boots, will travel

Posted on June 24, 2015 by captainjack66

On the road again, Diplomonkey drops by this really cool dairy farm in Lurin, a fair-sized town some 45 kilometers south of Lima. The place is also known for the massive pre-Colombian Pachacamac ruins on its outskirts – note to self, I need to go their with the little dudes before our tour is up next year.

Lurin Dairy Cow #1

Tail End of the Business – Lurin Dairy Cow #2

Anyhow, there is nothing like a quick farm visit to cheer up Diplomonkey’s spirits. The smell of hundreds of animals, feed, and damp earth are a welcome, reinvigorating shock to the system, as much as an escape from the confines of the office and its unceasing pile of reports and briefing memoranda.

Fresh Milk Straight from the Cow – Lurin Dairy Cow #3

One of the great aspects of foreign service life, I think is getting away from the desk work to actually do field work. I guess that the bonus here is the possibility to see new things, as well as to interact with people. Most people I meet are more than willing to tell you something about themselves, what they do, what they think, and how things could better.

Milk Me, I dare You - Lurin Dairy Cow #5

Milk Me, I dare You – Lurin Dairy Cow #4

In any case, enjoy the pictures and consider a farm visit sooner than later to learn where our food actually comes from.

Hi There – Lurin Dairy Cow

Cheers!

4,208 Kilometers from Lima

Posted on May 16, 2015 by captainjack66

As Diplomonkey prepares for his next Ecuador trip, he has a flashback to the fun filled afternoon spent earlier this year with the little dudes (AKA as Zos and Bo, which together make up the dynamic duo of the BoZos) at Florida’s Gold Coast Railroad Museum. Although nearly half a year and 4,208 kilometers separate us from that sunny January afternoon, the memories are as fresh today as though the visit occurred only yesterday.

Florida Gold Coast Railroad Museum – Ghost Train 1594

Foreign Service life with kids is about getting the most fun with the little guys in new settings, collecting memories along the way that hopefully last a lifetime. Despite the hardships we often confront, and occasional (real) dangers, we are incredibly fortunate to get the chance to live and work in different places around the world in the service of our country.

Sam being Sam

Fortunately since most of our assignments are accompanied, we get to experience new places with our kids. Sometimes these places, as incredibly as it might seem, are back home in faraway and exotic Florida.

Florida Gold Coast Railroad Museum – Ghost Train 4033

Our kids growing up overseas are blessed with being able to experience unique life experiences. Our hopes and desires, as parents, are all to often tied to giving our children every material thing that they might possibly need to succeed. I guess that the Foreign Service life style, with its shipment weight allowances limitations and the ever present possibility of an evacuation, forces many of us to focus on what truly is important for the kids – experiences, memories, and the ability years later to say “I did this” or “saw that when I was a kid in the land of Erehwon (i.e., Nowhere spelled backwards, taken from an old foreign service exam).”

Zos and Bo, The Dynamic Duo of the BoZos

Nasa Railroad SW 1500 Switcher Locomotive #2 – Because We Are Future Astronauts!

Enjoy the pictures!

Sign Post - Need One for US Embassy Lima 4208 KM

Sign Post – Missing a Sign for U.S. Embassy Lima 4,208 KM

Cheers from Lima, the land 4,208 kilometers away!

The Road to Antioquia, Peru

Posted on February 17, 2015 by captainjack66

Okay it’s late and I’m tired, but I need to mention the hidden little gem of Antioquia which is just outside of Lima; bug bites and all. Or better still, let me tell you about the road you take to get up there. Foreign Service life is about exploring new places anyhow.

Curving Roadway

Antioquia is a quaint little village located 64 kilometers east of Lima in the Lurin river valley. Like most little towns in Peru it counts with a tiny church, a plaza de armas (i.e., a main square), bodegas, and the occasional B&B. Unlike other towns Diplomonkey has so far visited, Antioquia’s buildings are decorated with whimsical painted motifs and biblical passages. The town is set along the Lurin river, where there is enough water to permit agriculture despite the desiccated surroundings – ah so many quinces, apples, peppers, and a plethora of mangos that just make the month water.

Upper Lurin River Valley

But for today let’s not focus on the destination but on the road to Antioquia. I guess this post is really about a case of the means to an end sort of scenario. Diplomonkey, true to form, again is losing focus; bad monkey, focus!

Church at Sisicaya, Halfway Mark

Right! So the drive up into the Andes takes a leisurely two hours each way, which reminds me that I need to get new tires for the Jeep. Focus Diplomonkey, focus!

Truck parked on the Cliff

Okay so we leave La Molina and head east towards Cieneguilla and beyond. The kilometers slowly click by as we traverse badly eroded roads along cliff sides. Huge boulders, precariously balanced on smaller slabs of rock give way eventually to a series rickety bridges and packs of wild dogs. Begone ye beasties, away from my Nikon D2. From my FCS buddy, I know that most of these bridges might be American made ones; the Chinese ones on the other hand tend to fall into the crevasses. Oh what fun!

Bridge on the road to Antioquia

Anyhow, tonight I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Once the weather improves, I will head out again and get some pictures of the town. And surely next time I will take some industrial strength bug spray; off to the MED Unit tomorrow for antihistamines.

The Adventure Has Only Begun

Posted on February 2, 2015 by captainjack66

A couple of months ago while contemplating our Florida R&R travel, I came upon the brilliant idea of working with the dudes on a father and son project. A rocket project nonetheless.

Designing a Rocket

The months went by, but true to my word I ordered a scale model V-2 rocket from Estes and had it shipped to my in-laws. Despite the threat of another government shutdown just prior to our travel date, (the last one for us occurred while we were on evacuation status from Embassy Cairo) we make it home for Christmas, the first time in four years.

Channeling the spirit of Wernher von Braun, one of the “fathers of rocket science,” the Diplomonkey crew dives into the construction of its mighty rocket. Even Jack Jack Smack Attack helps with the build, accompanying the senior Diplo to the model shop and Home Depot for primer, glue, paints and the ever so sharp Exacto knife. Boy, that knife sure is sharp.

V-2 Rocket Ready to Go

With the build, the black and yellow test pattern paint job, and final detailing complete, the Diplomonkey rocket scientists head to the model shop to purchase a set of powerful “D” engines, a launch pad, and controller. With all the accouterments demanded of modern American rocketry in tow, and with a narrowing launch window since we have to return to Peru, we schedule the launch for a crisp but spectacular south Florida winter afternoon.

Launch Controller

Dream Big, Greatness Lies Ahead

Five, four, three, two, one, oops a misfire. With the problem assessed, yep Captain Jack had inverted the blasted connectors to the engine igniter – let’s try it again with a fresh igniter. Five, four, three, two, one, blast-off in the best NASA style!

Thanks to Captain Ivan and aunt Jillian, the Diplomonkeys have great memories to share. With two successful launches under their belts, the Diplomonkeys are now part of the space age. Which, I guess makes us Diplonauts.

Always dream big and reach for the unreachable!

The Adventure Has Only Begun (Michael Mitchell, Space Shuttle Engineer).

Cheers from Lima!

diplomonkey

Chimping around the world!

Tag Archives: Foreign Service

Old 1941-42 Chevy Woodie Found in Lima

Okay, So I’m a Slacker

Postcards from Peru – A Visit with the Yaguas

Postcard from Peru – Iquitos Street Scenes

Postcards from Ecuador – Old Glories in Guayaquil’s Old Town

Postcards from Ecuador – Climbing Wawa Pichincha Volcano

Postcards from Peru, Lurin: Have muddy boots, will travel

4,208 Kilometers from Lima

The Road to Antioquia, Peru

The Adventure Has Only Begun