I have all these stories about our trip to Peru that I want to get down before I forget, but I have not found much time. I have been too busy biking through the most gorgeous Minnesota spring in my memory. But, here's one little tale of our vacation that is looking like it's going to have a lasting effect on our family:While we were in Peru, visiting our old housemate Jackie, she took us on a little overnight to 'the country'. We boarded a bus at 7 in the morning and settled in for a 3 hour ride. The ride wasn't too bad- not too crowded and with a soundtrack from the 80's which brought back memories of my senior All Knight Party in '87. I was signing along with "Big in Japan" when I looked across the aisle and saw that a small Peruvian girl (maybe 5 years old?) also knew all the lyrics. I don't think she technically spoke English, but she had these songs down. I particularly enjoyed her rendition of "Part-time Lover". Anyway- for two and a half hours of our supposed three hour journey the scenery was downright depressing- a wasteland or moonscape of shale and rock and dust. The road twisted up a mountain valley, but the slopes on either side were void of anything but the grittiest of homesteads scratched out of the side of the hill. My eyes stung and I was getting wheezy when we rounded one more curve and the color green started creeping back into the picture. 15 mintues later we were in a very fertile valley with a waterfall cascading down one side and terraced fields stretching up out of view.
We disembarked at a farmhouse called Tambo that was built over 300 years ago. The owners were supplementing their farming income by letting people camp in their fields and renting little 'cabanas'. We moved into a little two bedroom unit for the next 24 hours. Jackie told the woman of the place that the boys loved animals and she let us know that they could adopt a rabbit for the duration of our stay. We just had to find Alfredo, her husband, and he'd set us up. We found him a couple hours later and when Jackie mentioned that the boys would like a rabbit, he asked "Para comer?" (to eat?) but Jackie assured him it was just to cuddle. Alfredo took Eli into the barn and had him pick one out, gave him a cage, and then brought him to a field of what looked like weeds. He motioned Eli over, and in English said, "You see this? This is Alfalfa. Rabbit loves. This is dandeleon- Rabbit loves. This one here (holding up a plant that looked very similar to alfalfa)- if the rabbit eats this, he takes long sleep up in heaven." He patted Eli on the back and walked away. Eli and Theo looked nervous, but they nevertheless jumped into bunny fostering. We were able to pry them away from 'Patch' to walk to a waterfall and to check out the llamas, alpacas, foxes, and other critters on the farm, but they were awfully content sitting and petting Patch. The boys were up before 6am the next day, eager to spend the last few hours before we left getting some quality time with Patch. About an hour before departure the boys started getting sad. At T-30 minutes there was outright bawling. The woman who owned the place happened by and said, "Oh, how sweet! You can't take your rabbit with you, but when you get home, you should get one and name it Tambo after this farm!" The boys nodded through sad tears, gave Patch one last loving look and slumped into the taxi that was to take us back to Lima. By the time we arrived at Jackie's apartment, most of their tears had been shed and they were starting to perk up a bit.
Once back in Minnesota they put on the full court press to get a rabbit of their own. They researched online, gathered books from the library, and found out about a 'bunny basics' class held at the local animal shelter. And now, 2 weeks later, we are on the verge of bunny ownership. But it has not been an easy road! There are applications to fill out, phone interviews to 'pass', and cage preparations to make. We're in the middle of building the 'bunny condo' (not a cage, apparently) we saw on a website and have begun to gather other supplies. We're ready! We managed to get approved and have been emailed an appointment time and the secret location of the adoption event on Saturday where we get to pick out our pet from a number of rabbits we saw on the Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society's webpage.
I hope that we are happy bunny owners. But I'm also hoping that we don't get so far in that we become regulars at the 'hoppy hour' events, or that we start calling the rabbits our 'buns'. The people we have met through this society seem like that they are quite a ways down the rabbit road- there's a hint of zealousness that makes me nervous. I'm hoping that we can keep some perspective.
Oh, and please note that we are not getting a rabbit as a pet. We are getting a rabbit companion. Apparently there is a difference. If you have any insight there, please share it.
