Last Stop in Peru – A small town in rural Piura

After having spent several weeks in the more touristic parts of Peru, we headed north to Piura – a part of Peru with few tourists. The town we stayed in, called Ingenio de Buenos Aires, is in the province of Morropon, and gets few outside visitors and no tourists. However, we lived here many years ago and wanted to see old friends. Plus, the kids always have a great time in this small town where they can run freely in the dirt streets and play in the river.

Raymi eating a passionfruit in our friend's field

Ingenio is too small of a town to have a hotel, although there is a hotel in the town of Morropon, which is 7 kilometers and a short mototaxi ride away. We are very grateful to be able to stay with a friend of ours who offered us a room and three meals a day.

The food in Ingenio is delicious, although there is very little variety. For a few days, however, we are content to eat rice with chicken or fish stew each day. On Saturdays, there are more options, as there is a lady who kills a cow and sells the beef, several women who kill pigs and sell them, and a few women who make tamales. The tamales here are particularly delicious as they are made completely from scratch. Senora Maria, for example, peels the corn, grinds it, and uses this to make the masa for the tamales.

Señora Gertrudis, 90 years old, still makes tamales each Saturday

The first evening we arrived, my daughters immediately found the other children their age in town and began to run around with them. The kids showed them their chickens, hens, goats, and pigs, and my daughters were fascinated. They showed off their chicken-catching skills and caught their new friends’ roosters for them. When the kids finally came back to our hosts’ house, they were soaking wet, as they had gone for a dip in the stream that runs through town – fully clothed.

I sent the kids to bathe, but first had to show them how to get cleaned up when there is no running water. Ingenio only has water every other morning for two hours, so people keep water in large plastic containers. I showed the girls how to pour water onto themselves with a pitcher and take a shower with just one bucket of water. After that, we ate dinner and went to sleep – tired from a long day.

The next day, we walked to the edge of town where the river runs a bit wider and relaxed in the running water. I had forgotten how beautiful this part of town is – with views of the majestic hills and mountains in the distance. The kids were happy to see animals and swim in the river, but, what they really wanted was to go horseback riding.

La Toma, with a view of the mountains.

There are plenty of horses in town, but few people have saddles and even fewer have horses they thought safe to let the kids ride. So, it was not easy to find someone willing to hire us a horse. Finally, we found a person who said he would bring his horses in from the pasture for the kids to ride. When he finally showed up with his herd of horses, the kids were very excited. True to his word, he saddled up a horse, and let the girls ride him around town. Tatiana was very pleased that finally she could ride on a horse, and not have to be on a trail. She was free to guide the horse where she wanted to go. And, luckily, the horse was obedient and did as she said. Soraya also rode the horse herself. Raymi, however, was a bit more scared, and preferred to have someone lead the horse for her.

Raymi - riding a mare in Ingenio

We went back the following two evenings to ride horses. On the third evening, the owner of the horses, Jorge William, brought a mare who likes to trot and even canter. I wasn’t sure the girls would be able to trot or canter. However, they figured it out for themselves and were thrilled to run around town with the horses. Tatiana and Soraya were very pleased with themselves and their horse-riding skills.

With the kids happily swimming in the river, playing with their friends, and riding horses, I was able to relax in Ingenio and catch up with friends. And, not to make everything a “teaching moment,” I think it is also incredibly valuable for the kids to see how people live in a small town in rural Piura, far removed from most things they are used to. The kids remember very little from our last visit here six years ago. However, now that they are 11 and 8 years old, I am sure they will remember much more.