The Tent is Still Working

I am in a town called Espinar nestled in the altiplano between Cusco and Arequipa. After getting hailed on the last two days, I decided it was time for a break so here I am. I have rain gear and a helmet to mitigate the effect of the hail but it is still not any fun to deal with. I have also learned that a good 30-minute hail storm will decrease the temperature significantly.
With all that said, I am extatic to report that my tent is functioning well and that my engineering solution seems to have done the trick. All I can say is that if you need epoxy putty to be pliable use the stuff that is an actual putty instead of a paste before it dries. I am hoping that my tent will not require any more fixes but, if it does, I have an extra pole to fix it with. I have so far used my tent for every night except one since I left Cusco and it has rained almost every night. Staying dry and warm when it is cold keeps my spirits high.
I went through the usual remote rural areas to get to Espinar. The people here don't have a lot of material possessions but they eat well and they have electricity. This was evidenced by the numerous hydroelectric power stations and ample flocks of cows and sheep. This doesn't stop children from begging me aggressively for money. As I ride by, the children beg me incessantly for "propinas." Considering that the word propina means tip, I wonder what they expect to be tipped for. I have been able to leave these kids behind but their aggressiveness is worrisome. Some of the kids were carrying shovels which could readily be used as weapons. I have also read stories from other cyclist about the kids throwing rocks when they don't get their "propina." It is a small step to go from aggressively begging people for money to assaulting them. Rest assured that I have no qualms about beating one, or several, of these children mercilessly if they became threatening in any way. When I am on my own, I have to follow the law of the jungle instead of any ethical code. Fortunately, I have been able to avoid having to do that but I have definitely heard stories about large groups of adolescents who roam around looking for people to assault and steal from. They are colloquially called "piranas" because of the nature of their attacks.
I am continuing on but I am weary of others as I am definitely an outsider here. I hear Quechua more commonly spoken here than Spanish. One of the aggressive panhandlers seemed to barely speak Spanish at all. He first started speaking to me in Quechua and, when I asked him if he spoke Spanish, said in broken Spanish, "What a pretty bike. Sell it to me." When I politely refused he started asking me to give him money and even ran aside me while begging. I left him behind but I am questioning whether my policy of civility towards all needs a little revision. I think that instead of meekly saying, "I am sorry. I don't have enough money for you." I should say something like, " I will not give you any money and if you don't want any trouble with me you should leave me alone." I am inherently a nice person but I also have a mean, vicious side and I not afraid to flash my teeth if necessary.