Strikes are much different here….

July 8th, 2009 by Jessica Marshall

Today, there is a nationwide strike for all taxi and bus drivers. The city is a ghost town. Strikers in Lima are on the T.V. Because there is no transportation, almost 99% of the stores, offices, schools, and such are closed today. It’s very interesting to see a strike in another country and how different it is to what I know from back home. As I walked to the computer lab, one of the groups of taxi workers were in front of me in the street with banners, flags, and drums. I saw two men from the group throw rocks at an unregistered taxi (what we know as ‘hacks’ in Baltimore) because it had just dropped a couple off near the main avenue. Heather and I hoping the strike will end by today, but there are rumors that it is supposed to last until tomorrow. Unfortunately this means I won’t be able to buy myself a sweater before I go out tonight and we are sending our clothes to be laundered, so I’ll be freezing Other than the stores and restaurants being closed, we don’t mind walking so much. It’s probably good that I have to walk 25/30 minutes to work, 10/13 minutes to the computer lab, etc. because it makes up for all the running I don’t get to do. Besides hug my four-legged kids, that’ll probably be one of the first things I do when I get home. Hugs to all in the states! Jess