It is not everyday that you get to have lunch at the Sri Lankan consul in Peru but this afternoon was special.
For us, Gonzalo Ravago is the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) representative for Lima/Callao, Peru. The SSCA is an organization which focuses on maintaining a clean wake and a tradition of emphasizing world wide camaraderie. Before we left to go cruising in 2001 we became members and with excitement we read the monthly bulletins where cruisers would describe their adventures. "In the late seventies, the SSCA began developing a worldwide network of 'cruising stations', a facility or person(s) dedicated to helping cruisers and greeting newcomers sailing into their port with a friendly hand offering hospitality. A warm welcome upon arrival in a new port and a place to turn to for assistance in any situation is a wonderful thing to offer our members."
This describes Gonzalo's role for us. We contacted him before we left Ecuador. He helped transport a replacement electronic part from the US where he was on business travel to Peru so we could install it when we arrived. He assisted us with our agent on checking in to and out of Peru, as well as coordinating with the Yacht Club Peruano and answering my emails before we arrived.
He is a man who wears many hats, such as also being the honorary Peruvian consul to Sri Lanka, so the front room at his house is his office and the Sri Lankan consul, complete with pictures of the president of Sri Lanka and their flag. Gonzalo also owns a cosmetic and a costume jewelry company. He is a sailor (J-24 and a 36 ft sailboat) and proud father of a delightful family.
He invited us over for lunch with his family and a few friends. His wife, Magdala, is a wonderful hostess who welcomed us and offered a delicious lunch of "chifa" or Peruvian style Chinese food. Their daughter, also named Magdala, is attending university and studying industrial engineering. Gonzalo jr, their son, is 11 and excited about airplanes as well as being a whiz at the flight simulator on his iPad. Ignacio de la Piedra who is an economist with a computer engineering background from Notre Dame in the US joined us with his 6 year old twin daughters, and a son a little older than Gonzalo jr. Our group was rounded out with Eduardo Montenegro and his wife, Jenny Montori. Eduardo is the consul from Malta to Peru and a member of the Order of St. John.
Ignacio's son, Ignacio, Elaine, Rich, Eduardo, Magdala, Gonzalo
Front row: Ignacio's twin daughters, Gonzalo Jr.
The afternoon was full of conversation on all sorts of topics from engineering to airplanes to Templars and the Order of St John to exploits of being a consul. We had a great time and will remember it as one of the highlights of our visit to Peru.
Thank you to Gonzalo and your family for your hospitality, your friendship and making Peru be alive.
