Paro - Strike of truck drivers in Lima

April 5th - Everything is pretty much paralyzed here right now. There is a strike going on. Buses, trucks, and taxis are not running anymore, stores are closed, as well as schools and offices. Today, I unknowingly went for a walk and wondered why there was no activity on the streets. Only a few dog walkers here and there. There is a curfew in place, so I shouldn't have been out. The dissatisfaction with the government here is great, and now rising energy prices and general price increases are adding to it. Yesterday, we were supposed to visit a project by Bread for the World; that was not possible either. The strike is supposed to end tonight. We'll see. Just now, we heard a loud pot banging (cacerolazo) in the neighborhood, which we know well from our time in Chile and it's an expression of protest.

Tomorrow, we wanted to eat at a Michelin-star restaurant. Lima alone has two of the top 10 Michelin-star restaurants worldwide. The chef at the restaurant where we - hopefully - will go, was once awarded the best chef in the world. On Thursday, we were supposed to visit a community member on his farm in the countryside. Because of the unstable situation, we will meet him and his wife here in Lima. The weekend will be characterized by the pastor couple who arrived from Germany and are introducing themselves and applying here. We greatly hope that the whole schedule can be followed and everything can take place because on Sunday, after the introductory service and subsequent conversation, the election will take place. The visit of the pastor couple was originally planned three weeks ago but had to be canceled at short notice due to a COVID case in the family.

Gradually, we are already mentally occupied with our return journey and are very much looking forward to seeing family and friends, our house, the peace, and nature at our doorstep...

Last week, we had a site visit with the church council, custodian, and a civil engineer because there are still some repairs to be done. Also, last week, Martin visited a museum. Since the travel time in each direction was one hour, I stayed at home.

And on Sunday, we were once again in Miraflores on the coast, where we could even watch paragliders take off. It was busy in all the green areas, many families had picnics there. And there is also a lot of sports activities going on there. The weather is still very nice, it can still get hot during the day, but it cools down in the mornings and evenings. It is also getting dark earlier, so you can notice the change of season.

Now, there is a new update: There was actually a toque de queda, a curfew, today due to the paro de transportistas - truck drivers' strike. President Pedro Castillo has just lifted the curfew, the inmovilización sociál. We spent the afternoon in the garden and heard helicopters above us and the siren repeatedly. It's a strange feeling. Now we are curious to see what happens next.