La China

With the 50^th anniversary coming up, the volunteers have been asked to speak with the different local newspapers in Tumbes to put in a little blurb or spread on what is Peace Corps. Last Sunday, one of the local newspapers wrote two full pages on us with excerpts of interviews from a few of the volunteers. However, we thought it would be good to maybe put another notice about ourselves in another newspaper and I found myself asking around if anyone knew where the “Correo” newspaper office was.

“Sure I do” answered my uncle Koke. “The Correo office? It’s right on the corner of so and so- next to “La China.”

Not being familiar with one of these streets, I asked “Well, what’s “La China”?

“Oh, you know, the little blue prostitute house on the corner.”

(Here I paused and processed what he said)

“Come again Koke?”

“You know, the little blue…”

And then he proceeded to draw me a picture.

“Here we go” he said, “here’s the market street, here’s the street you walk up, HERE is La China’s prostibulo (he made sure to pronounce it very slowly so I could understand- PROS- TIIII- BUUU-LO) and the Correo office is next door.”

I tried to keep an even face and pretend that of course, I knew where the local brothel was located. But it was hard. Weren’t those things illegal? I had heard rumors of one existing between the Miami campus and Dayton airport but those rumors probably held as much truth as the government's denial of finding alien bodies in Roswell, New Mexico. So it surprised me to know that I had been walking past a Peruvian “Prostibulo” three times a week. Eventually, unable to keep my curiosity at bay and quite amused at the map my uncle Koke had made me, I asked him,

“Koke, how do YOU know where La China’s brothel is?

“Well, you see Lindsey (long pause), this one time I was eating my lunch outside on the side of the street with my motorcycle and this lady just came up to and asked me how much I was willing to pay. I had no idea it was a whore house- I was just sitting there, eating my lunch”!

Eating lunch my butt. I could now picture the area in my head and there was nothing inviting about that street nevertheless eating one’s lunch there unless you enjoy dining near dead animals and burning garbage.

Keeping those thoughts and judging to myself, I silently nodded my head while Koke finished his map and wished me good luck on my adventure to find the newspaper office. I would like to point out that Koke also has a tattoo on his chest that says “ Te amo Tatiana.” Tatiana was his girlfriend in high school and Koke has been looking for a way to get rid of the evidence since his new girlfriend doesn’t know it exists. She’s never seen him without a wife beater on.

The next day I went out on my quest to find the Correo newspaper office but I’ll I could find was the brothel. I just saw a homeless man coming out of there with his cup and hand and once again, judged. Needless to say, Correo wasn’t where Koke said it was and I've yet to find it to this date.