Traveler's Pantry: Alfredo

by annie

We learned about Alfredo from his girlfriend in Portland (Christina)- she's the receptionist for Brian's Chinese Medicine doctor, Dr. Lee. Although Alfredo isn't part of the networks we use to find work-for-trade, he needed help on some projects and was willing to host us.

Even though Alfredo and I speak different languages, I feel like I've been fortunate to get to know him pretty well- with Brian's help of course! Alfredo is a sweet and kind spirit, he exudes patience and his laugh and various sound effects are freakin' cute.

Alfredo has polio. He has three failing kidneys that require dialysis three times a week. He's waiting on the code 1 list for a fourth kidney. He had melanoma in his right eye, and now wears a prosthetic eye. If he laughs too hard, his eye pops out.

He has been taking Chinese herbs from Dr. Lee for 4 years. Before starting the herbs, he was taking 40 pills a day for his condition. Now, with herbs, he only needs 2 pills a day. Brian and Alfredo drink their herbs together, while I have mint tea.

Alfredo showed me pictures of his trips with Christina, and pictures of him as a baby. He skyped with my family and let me hold his chameleon, Esmerelda. He gobbled up my cookies (sometimes putting honey on them!), taught us how to make saffron rice, told us funny stories. He watched an American movie with us (in Spanish with English subtitles) and ate the spilled popcorn off the floor when it was over. He entered me into the popular Spanish lottery and together we caught a wild salamander running around the upstairs hall. He uses a dish detergent called "Fairy" because it's the best. He laughed when we told him that a fairy is a miniature human with butterfly wings.

The time here has been muy tranquilo. We've painted his indoor patio yellow and cleaned up his beautiful backyard. The birds are always chirping here, even at 2am. We sleep late and don't eat dinner until 11pm. Our room is super-comfy, with a memory foam mattress and matching pillows.