12 Birthday in Ayacucho, Peru

Birthday Boy!

I woke up extremely tired and remembered it was my birthday. My attempt to get out of bed was hard but I did it in no time. The first yap that came out of Cameron's mouth was "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN" which he screamed at the top of his lungs. I thought "glad that´s over"! Then my Mom thought she was being funny and said "Here is you special birthday milk,  and special birthday corn flakes cereal" (which everyone was else was getting ).

After that great breakfast I decided to make some chocolate milk for my brother and I. After drinking my chocolate milk my Mom gave me the day off of school but she said I have to read a history war book instead. I read for about hour about Lawrence of Arabia and the Arab Revolt.

Once I finished the book my Mom, Cameron, and I decided to get a fruit shake at the local market. Dad was working and Taylor was doing home work at our friends house so we walked over to ask if they wanted to go with us. Both said "No" so we went on our way to the shake stand. My brother and I ordered two mango con leche shakes and pound cake. That's mango with milk plus honey and vanilla. I drank my shake down to the last drop. So delicious! 

Later that day I got to pick the lunch spot. I chose a traditional Peruvian chicken restaurant, Pollo a La Brasa - gilled chicken. Then we went to check on the production of my hand made guitar. The guitar makers son welcomed us in to see my guitar. His workshop was up stairs on top of the house out in the open air. We caught him at the right time because he was shaping my guitar. I watched him take one half of the guitar, put water on the wood and then pressed it on a heated metal arc. My guitar was starting to take shape. 

Once I had seen enough my Mom and Cameron went to the market to get fixings for my birthday dinner and my Dad, Taylor, and I returned to our apartment to get dressed to play basketball.

When we got to the basket ball/soccer court people were playing soccer. We passed the ball around while we waited. Two local kids were watching us so we asked them if they wanted to join us by communicating with hand motions. When the people were done playing soccer we asked the boys if the wanted to shoot around with us? They nodded and followed us down to the court. We showed them how to shoot the ball and they picked it up pretty fast. After shooting for thirty minutes a group came in to play soccer so we decided to make our last shots and went back to the house. I thought it was a lot of fun to play with other boys of a change.

Back at our house my brothers whipped on different clothes and went to our friends house to help with my birthday dinner. My Dad said "We have to stay here forty-five minutes because your Mom wants to surprise you with what we are having for dinner." While my Dad did some work on the computer I finished reading my book "Lawrence of Arabia and the Arab Revolt."

Time flew by and my Dad announced it was time to go. We headed down the road to our friends house. Immediately inside my brother decorated me with two paper leis and a birthday crown. I thought it was dorkey. Then my Mom took pictures of me, she thought it was funny. The crown was too small for me so I took it off but left the paper leis on.

Cameron presenting the birthday crown.

Birthday Prince.

Time to eat! We all sat down at the dinner table, blessed the food and started eating. For dinner Mom made a sub sandwich buffet. I didn´t realize how much I missed sub sandwiches. It was delicious!

For my bithday dessert we had the best non-Grandma baked cake in the world. It was light cheese cake style, grahmcracker crust and the top has a layer of elderberries. The cake was so flavorful my taste buds wanted more. My brothers decorated it with twelve plastic frogs. We didn´t have small party candles but we had one big white taper candle. So we lit the candle and my family and friends sang happy birthday to me.

La Meil - cheesecake with blackberry topping

Once everyone was done it was time for me to open presents. The first package I opened has a little orange foam basketball. In the second package there was the DVD of Rango. All DVD movies here are pirated. The next and final present I received was a box of chocolates.

Even though there weren't alot of family and friends to give me gifts I was still happy with what I got. Then my Dad said it was time to go, so we said goodnight to the Woods and I carried what was left of the cake home.

I will never forget my birthday in Ayacucho, Peru and when Cameron decorated me with a crown and paper leis. Plus, even though my birthday cake was good nothing and I mean nothing can match the birthday cakes my Grandma makes.