A lot has happened over the past few days... a lot of really good things...(I am writing this more for me than anything else so I remember all the little things that happened that made it such a wonderful trip.)
Thursday- night bus --> Puno (all by myself) read Siddartha in one sitting...amazing book...crap sleep on a bus on top of my backpack so nobody steals anything.
Friday- morning 0400 leave bus station for Hotel Europa... sleep for 3 hrs...eat breakfast on a roof top...window watching...coca leaf tea...coca leaves and bread in my pockets...waiting area with front desk Peruvian man...giant nativity scene...he went through all the figurines and told me their names in Spanish. : ) bus to the port... Boat. Uros Islands--> everything is made out of the straw, including their homes. School kids from Puno found out I was from USA and they all wanted pictures with me. It was weird, but they were cute. One girl said, "You fooiiine" hahahaa... see TV is bad for kids. I got embarrassed and ran in the boat.
Amantani Island--home stay with natives--shared with a Mexican and Korean couple with the cutest baby in the world who was 20 months old. (been traveling all over Peru for a month with him, makes me happy it can be done) My room was very simple, blue color, with big windows, and a giant poster of Jesus. Hike to the top of the island. bought bracelets from a little girl and she kissed me on the cheek. SUNSET. Meet Jefri (Peruvian boy) which led me to meet Evan (Californian studying in Lima), Diego (Argentina), Melissa and her boyfriend Carlinho (Peru, such a cute couple), and another couple. Soccer match against locals. Dinner with host family. Quinoa soup (saw a quinoa plant before they process it) and rice. "Discoteque" live band of native boys playing great music. It was the not so typical yet typical Latin dance party. Beautiful Melissa and her boyfriend dancing...dancing Salsa with Jefrie (only 19 but going to be hot when he gets older), thoughts of getting lost down here and finding a sexy Latin boy to adopt me into his loving, dancing, fun family, and perfect my Spanish. Dressed in locals traditional clothing..children dancing.....everybody...Cusqueno beer...more dancing...happy. no electricity on island. no cars. no dogs. walk back home under the stars and moon. bathroom in dark. sleep.
"estoy cansado, estoy muriendo, estoy feliz" -Jefrie while walking up the mountain, it was very steep, 13000 ft altitude, it became the theme of the rest of our trip.
Saturday- wake up to the sounds of donkeys and roosters. 0630. Breakfast @ 0700. Potato pancakes and muna tea. Meet group at dock.
Boat ride to Tequile Island. -->Run up trail with Evan. altitude 13,000 ft, breathless, Photos with Holga, had to change the film in front of everyone and they thought seeing a film camera was so funny. I had a circle around me watching--Holga newly nicknamed "Inca Camera" because it looks so old by Diego...really funny...crystal clear water...sheeps with collars on leashes... Trout lunch...New friends on top of the boat. SUNSHINE. Jefrie putting too much sunscreen on face (Michael Jackson), Talks with Evan about travels and tattoos, Chess battles---> I won Carlinho twice and then Melissa beat me. Shanaz's Aussie card game (tried but slept on the back of the boat in the sun instead.) Wrote in diary. Carlinho tried to read, but he only kind of knows English, A lot of Spanish practice, cultural exchange of phrases and words.... boat ride to PUNO. ---->me, Shaz, Jefrie, and Evan together in Puno. crammed in tiny, tiny taxi (tuck tuck), plaza, giant Jesus, photos, Contraband Market, taxi to textile market by the port, super cheap hand knitted alpaca hats, socks, gloves, scarves....back to Plaza and Jefrie and Evan's hostel-->card game, meet Melissa, Diego, Carlinho in the Plaza, Chefa dinner (Peruvian version of Chinese food), Coca cola tastes different, wander around streets, stumble onto a giant celebration/parade for a couple that got married..IT WAS HUGE..like 100 ppl if not more in the parade playing instruments and dancing, it was surreal and beautiful, learned that they do this every time someone gets married in Puno. Figured out Shaz is on my same bus that night back to Cusco, Shaz gave Jefrie her Uni sweater from London. 0900 taxi to bus terminal with Shaz, goodbye hugs and kisses, it was sad I really really liked my new friends a lot,
Shaz checked in at the ticket counter and she magically got assigned a seat next to me by pure chance. ; ) helped a nice German couple (Munich), bus, sleep.
0400 arrive back in Cusco, catch a taxi home, help Shaz find her way home. sleep again.
Sunday- woke up late after lots of traveling, sort through pictures. wish I had my other digicams I left at home. : ( taking lots of film pictures though. email check...told mom I am still alive... got invited by my housemates to go eat 4 Sole delicious vegetarian food, I had just eaten lentil and rice for lunch but decided to go. Met Devin. Awesome girl from Vermont currently living in Oregon. Vegetarian place in San Blas was closed. Decided to wander around San Blas which is very beautiful with a lot of little ally ways, Ice cream, found some really great hippie pants, purses, boots (need to go back to purchase), stumbled upon a Christmas play in the main plaza, it was humerous, saw some roasted CUY (guinea pigs whole...with eyes....that look at you), ran into Nic, more wandering, found a killer view of the city thanks to Jessica, took it in, Devin and I split off to hike to the white Jesus even higher up, it was a very steep hike but totally worth it, great conversation (history, life, Albert and Galileo, medicine) overlooking all of Cuzco, sunshine, gorgeous weather, locals enjoying their Sunday with family, lots of perro (dogs), dog eating in a dumpster, "bitch" (strike us down), stairs, playground in the sky, sunset, Plaza de Armas, Red Barn market 2 sole earrings ($0.75), taxi, Shaz is alive! came to visit and turns out is staying right next to where I am staying. Dinner. Best cookie ever. new people are here. Signed up for Rafting for December 26th. Really want to make it to Mancora (beaches.) Pretty sure I am getting my nose pierced again down here. Found a legit tattoo/piercing shop.
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