Strike (again)

Okay, we have about a week before we leave Andahuaylas for our visit to the US, family, and US churches.  And everything is complicated by a general strike.  We can only do business or travel to Andahuaylas in the morning before 9 am or after 4 or 5 pm.

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
And we are in agreement with this strike.  The strike is to protest the large amounts of money that have been funneled into the hospital and road paving projects with no result.  The road between Ayacucho and Andahuaylas is close to completion.  The road between Abancay and Andahuaylas----nothing.  The new hospital has vanished into thin air, and the director of the current hospital has changed possession like a basketball.  Who knows who it is?  AND there is a report of the privatization of the water system, coupled with constant cuts in water.  So we want to support the strike, because there are not a lot of other ways to call the government's attention to problems.
We have gone through strikes before, and it was traumatic.  And although this strike is reasonable and nonviolent, I have to say that it is much easier for us because we have learned a lot about how you live through them:

1. Don´t try to go anywhere during strike hours unless absolutely necessary.
2. Get up early and do your shopping before the strike starts, and go out in the evening to add to your supplies.
3. Listen to information from everyone.  Taxi drivers are really well-informed and are a great source of information during non-strike (treaty) hours.
4. Listen to local radio and ask all your neighbors what is going on. 

All the same , we hope it is over soon, so we can get on with preparations for our trip.