Sunday

Everything is a big event here. The papers were signed to get the road from Moyobamba to Yantalo paved. Something that has been talked about since the first time we arrived 4 years ago. Luis was a main event and three journalists followed him around with cameras...as did Josh and I.

Josh and I spotted our favorite kid today, a little girl, Rosalita, who isn't so little anymore. She remembers us and we have massive amounts of video footage of her. We met her and her sad eyes in the police office on our first visit and later learned she and her brother had basically been abandoned. Seeing some of the other kids that used to follow us around, all so much older, makes me kind of miss them holding onto every part of me as they swarm after us around town. Filmmaking means you
have to hide behind the camera sometimes - a balance between personal connections and a safe distance in order to observe. I think I like it there, in the middle.

We had lunch at a meeting with Luis. It was more like a company picnic Peru style. Winston, an older relative of Luis's who owns an amazing restaurant, brought me special veggie food. SO nice to have people looking after you...especially when they're good cooks!!!