Franklin comes to the Muelle in Pimentel often to fish. He doesn’t use a fishing pole, just a thin nylon thread with a hook and a stone at the end. A hand full of small mussels serves as bait. He opens one, scrapes off the meat and pokes the hook through it. With a quick movement he throws it far into the sea and waits for fish to bite.

„When I stand here, at the bridge in Pimentel, I don’t think of anything. Time passes, without you even noticing it. Before I retired I used to be a teacher for history and geography at the school Santa Maria de la Paz in Chiclayo.

It was a very fulfilling job. Many students come from unfortunate backgrounds and dysfunctional families. I believe students learn a lot of unimportant stuff in high school. It doesn’t make sense to make them memorize the names of all countries in Africa. What for? I think as a teacher it is crucial to talk to the students, learn about their circumstances and find out what knowledge can help them later on in their lives. I wanted to teach them something important. Some former students became good friends and many still recognize me in the streets and say hi.“

Trinidad and Franklin go on to talk about the educational system in Peru. He is quiet happy with the changes the minister of education has made to the system recently and hopes for a positive lasting effect. Just as we are about to leave the bridge, a fish catches the bait and seconds later dangle on Franklin’s hook. It will be dead within the hour. And probably on a plate later tonight in our shared flat in Pimentel. Provecho!