I've had just over a week to think over my trip and experience some of the interest upon my return, so I thought it was time to tie a nice little bow onto things. I wish I could say I had come away from my trip with some new outlook on life, some new power to make everything right. It is obvious to me that isn't the case.
But I have come away with the understanding that not everyone lives like us, and that doesn't make the world a scary place. It makes it different, but nothing that we need to be scared of.
As you can imagine, a lot of people have asked me about my trip after returning, and a lot of people have asked about pictures. Some of you have seen them, so of you still will I'm sure. But this interested has made it clear to me this trip was about me, for me. It wasn't to come back with a million pictures to brag about to everyone. I'm happy to tell my story, but the impact of the story was for me and I have no doubt this has come across in some of my picture "sessions". I appreciate everyone's interest.
Spencer, it was nothing short of life changing to see you again. In the short time of a week and a half, you changed so much. You learned about snow (or "noe" as you like to call it), and you can say ice cream. You are a wonderful, wonderful kid and I wonder what I can do to screw up your life as little as possible. Trip or not, I promise to try and give you the life that you deserve.
Thank you to everyone for following, and I hope my next trip will be just as fulfilling.
Kenny
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
DAY #7 - Home sweet home
I made it home! Yeah! The flights were long, the layovers were longer, but I survived the trip. After a long trip, it is very nice to be home.
I'm going to think a day or two about my trip, and make final entry on this blog. This trip, for me, was life changing. Not in the sense that I'm going to become a new person, or some magical change has taken place, but it has put a lot of things in perspective for me. I am very glad that I went and wouldn't have changed a thing. The trip cost somewhere around a small fortune, and I'm expecting to see Peru have a nice rise in GDP for fourth quarter 2009 (mostly because of me). :)
Thanks to everyone who followed this and wanted to make sure I stayed alive!
I'm going to think a day or two about my trip, and make final entry on this blog. This trip, for me, was life changing. Not in the sense that I'm going to become a new person, or some magical change has taken place, but it has put a lot of things in perspective for me. I am very glad that I went and wouldn't have changed a thing. The trip cost somewhere around a small fortune, and I'm expecting to see Peru have a nice rise in GDP for fourth quarter 2009 (mostly because of me). :)
Thanks to everyone who followed this and wanted to make sure I stayed alive!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
DAY #6, Entry #4 - Airport
What the heck was the name of that Tom Hanks movie where he starts living in the airport? Well, the movie sucked and so does being stuck in an airport.
12 hours down, 20 minutes to go. Thank goodness!
12 hours down, 20 minutes to go. Thank goodness!
DAY #6, Entry #3 - Holy good gosh
Hour seven of the hell that this layover has become, only five more to go. I am literally a bit concerned that I might be going crazy. I am considering have a conversation with the small, kind of fake looking but actually real tree next to me. Yeah, that bad.
The stupid check-in desk isn't stupid open because the stupid flight isn't for another stupid five hours. So, I can't check my luggage, which means I can't pass GO, which means I have to sit out here in the land of nothingness. I know the otherside of the security probably has beds, and showers, and unicorns, and.........
I was watching a TV show on my computer in Starbucks, but an actual customer kicked me off the plug-in. The nerve of some people!
I'm going to go watch for the men in the white jackets now. I'm looking forward to talking with them :)
The stupid check-in desk isn't stupid open because the stupid flight isn't for another stupid five hours. So, I can't check my luggage, which means I can't pass GO, which means I have to sit out here in the land of nothingness. I know the otherside of the security probably has beds, and showers, and unicorns, and.........
I was watching a TV show on my computer in Starbucks, but an actual customer kicked me off the plug-in. The nerve of some people!
I'm going to go watch for the men in the white jackets now. I'm looking forward to talking with them :)
DAY #6, Entry #2 - Talking
I know you all have been dying for me to get on a soap box, and since my attempt to sleep on the hard concrete floor only lasted an hour, I thought I'd do some typing. I'm three hours into my layover and only have eight more to go. Aggghhhhh!
So, what is the purpose of talking? I think it is to communicate, to transfer information. Too often, if you ask me, people use it to fill dead space, scared of what might happen if something isn't being said. During my ride on the train, I felt like these people were talking just to talk, which can be okay to a point. No one wants to be bored, many people like to fill that "space". I'm not one of them. I am comfortable in that silence. In fact, many time I like that silence. It's calming and the world slows down when there isn't endless chatter.
Now, having said that, I know I have not mastered the art of communication. Honestly, I downright suck at it. I have taken my "talking" philosophy to cover all aspects, including relationships with the people I need to talk to (bosses, collegues, etc) and those that I love. I need to understand that talking also build relationships, builds trust, and builds shared interests. All too often, I dismiss that as talking just to talk.
So, I'll do better to "talk" with those people that I need to talk with and not simply dismiss the opportunity. I can't promise, though, that a train full of American tourists won't still drive me nuts!
So, what is the purpose of talking? I think it is to communicate, to transfer information. Too often, if you ask me, people use it to fill dead space, scared of what might happen if something isn't being said. During my ride on the train, I felt like these people were talking just to talk, which can be okay to a point. No one wants to be bored, many people like to fill that "space". I'm not one of them. I am comfortable in that silence. In fact, many time I like that silence. It's calming and the world slows down when there isn't endless chatter.
Now, having said that, I know I have not mastered the art of communication. Honestly, I downright suck at it. I have taken my "talking" philosophy to cover all aspects, including relationships with the people I need to talk to (bosses, collegues, etc) and those that I love. I need to understand that talking also build relationships, builds trust, and builds shared interests. All too often, I dismiss that as talking just to talk.
So, I'll do better to "talk" with those people that I need to talk with and not simply dismiss the opportunity. I can't promise, though, that a train full of American tourists won't still drive me nuts!
DAY #6 - Back in Lima
I´m back in Lima, thank God! I arrived here a little over an hour ago, and I´m in an internet cafe type place to check in for my flight and type this out. I´m typing on a spanish keyboard, which is really weird. I had to press seven keys, spin around twice, and touch my toes to type my email address. Goofy spanish language.
The last 16 hours have been not so good. As you probably read in my last posting last night, I was suffering the affects of some bad water. Well, let me tell you, the night was not fun. I think I got no more than two hours of sleep and had a hard time functioning this morning. I´ve been drinking water and eating when needed, and it seems to be getting better. I think I have a low-grade fever which makes sense since the water has bacteria in it (I guess?). Either way, I´ll be excited to return to tap water and yummy food!
Unfortunatly, my return seems weeks away. I am layed over here in Lima from 1:30 pm until 12:50 am (almost 12 hours), then six and a half hour flight, layover in Houston, three and half hour flight, layover in Seattle and home. Just about 26 hours to go until landing in Spokane :(
I´m going to go find a spot to curl up now and get some sleep. I have two hours of wireless time to use, so I´ll log on after I crash for a while. Until then!
The last 16 hours have been not so good. As you probably read in my last posting last night, I was suffering the affects of some bad water. Well, let me tell you, the night was not fun. I think I got no more than two hours of sleep and had a hard time functioning this morning. I´ve been drinking water and eating when needed, and it seems to be getting better. I think I have a low-grade fever which makes sense since the water has bacteria in it (I guess?). Either way, I´ll be excited to return to tap water and yummy food!
Unfortunatly, my return seems weeks away. I am layed over here in Lima from 1:30 pm until 12:50 am (almost 12 hours), then six and a half hour flight, layover in Houston, three and half hour flight, layover in Seattle and home. Just about 26 hours to go until landing in Spokane :(
I´m going to go find a spot to curl up now and get some sleep. I have two hours of wireless time to use, so I´ll log on after I crash for a while. Until then!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
DAY #5 - Macchu Picchu
To say that today was a long and tiring day might be the understatement of the century. I'm doing everything I can to sit upright, stay awake long enough to type this, and take a shower. Hopefully I make it :) I know I'll miss some of the day's stories, so I'll reread this tomorrow and add as needed.
My day started out simply enough, 7:00 am local time. What was I looking forward to? A nice warm shower. Do 17th century montassori's have hot water? No. Do they have hot water in 2009? Nope. So, I rinsed off the best I good between the ice chuncks and got dressed.
The 20 minute tax ride from here to the train station was eventless. It was a pretty drive, through the outskirts of Cusco and into a small town of Poroy. I arrived just in time to get on the train and we chugged out of the station. Now, PeruRail runs on time when it comes to departure. It, however, does not run on time when it comes to arrivals. Our two hour ride took just over 3 1/2 hours. Of those 3 1/2 hours, only the last 1/2 hour was worth looking out the window. It was pretty, don't get me wrong. But once you've seen one phesant tending her crop or cows, you've seen them all.
PeruRail runs its trains between walk and slow job. I'm not sure if it's because of the tracks, or because of the trains themselves, but we were passed on occasion by cows. Big, ugly, nasty Peruvian cows. They must have thought we were standing still.
The train ride was nice, but I'm going to complain a little. Next to me were two couples, both from the United States. They talked the entire time. THE ENTIRE TIME. And they weren't philosophsying about the history of the world. No. They were talking about the most useless of junk. Even the old Peruvian lady sitting across from me, who I know spoke no English, was pissed. It was just plain annoying. Now, I tend to be a bit negative sometimes around people, and I tend to let it really piss me off (yes, I was still pissed off). But in this 3 plus hour ride, I developed my own take on talking. I'm going to save that for tomorrow during my 7 hour layover in the airport, but you should look forward to that one :)
The last 1/2 hour was gorgeous. Rushing river, jungle like surroundings, insanely tall mountains. You travel in this huge ravine and the mountains around you must be 2500 feet tall. Amazing. I could post a million pictures and it wouldn't do it justice.
Upon arrival in the village below Macchu Picchu, we all got off the train and I scrambled to find the buses because there are NO MARKINGS WHATSOEVER! I finally found the buses, paid for my ticket and up the hill we went. The ride took about 20 minutes and we went a hell of a lot faster than the train did. Wow. The road is mostly one lane, drop off on the side and no forgiveness. I never closed my eyes, but I thought about it.
We arrived at Macchu Picchu without falling off, and the picture taking began. I took somewhere over 200 pictures, and I'm going to show you every last one of them (just kidding). You go through an entry gate and pay the fee, which is pretty expensive. You round the corner on the trail and there it is (well, part of it). It was amazing to see (for about the first 45 minutes).
I spent the morning walking around pretty much every inch of the area. Now, mind you, at 8000 plus feet in elevation, walking up and down isn't as easy as it is at, say, the ocean. I'd take three steps, stop. Take three steps, stop. It took a long time to cover ground like that. I ventured, I took pictures, I rest, and it started again. All this time, it was lightly misting. Around an hour into my trek, it turned into a downpour. I was soaked. I caught some last good pictures, and I was off to find "lunch".
I had read the the ritzy buffet in the lodge was good, so I partook. It was $33.00 American, and not worth a tenth of that. But, at century old ruins, who will complain? :) I, unforuntatly, have since found out that the water there was not cleansed and am paying the concequences. To add to that, I forgot to pack that as part of my travel medical arsenal. But, I'll be fine.
As I finished up lunch, the sun came out and so did I. I was ready for another climb, rest, climb around the ruins. First, I hit the bathroom. Now, the bathroom at Macchu Picchu costs 1 soles. I had a pocket full of them and having braved it before heading off the first time, it was old hat. As I walked in, this older gentleman (60 plus?), an American tourist, was trying to enter and he and the young gal managing the station were having a breakdown in communication. She said 1 soles, please. And he said, "what?". And she said, "1 soles please", and he said "what?". So, I paid his way in. About 1/2 way down the hall, he said to me "Thank you son, I had no idea what the hell that gal was asking me". :) Having been in the same situation about 20,000 times here in Peru, I understood completely.
I made it out into the ruins and sunshine again, and had a blast. I sweated to death, but had a blast. I took a million more pictures and hit the road.
Now, let me tell you about Macchu Picchu. Very nice, glad I went, wouldn't have missed it, probably don't need to go back. It was amazing, and the engineer in me was like "they did what with rocks? Holy cow!". Of course, everything they tell about thus being the guardhouse and that being the sacred stone is hypothesized because no one is around to tell you. They're all gone, and probably because they built a city in the mountains in the middle of %##$%@%! I'm glad I went, I can't describe what I say, the pictures will say it all. I will say two thing: (1) The Inca's who built Macchu Picchu were not afraid of heights, not one ounce, and (2) the current day Peruvians do not believe in safety. At all. I could have walked right off the side of a 1000 foot cliff with no warning. No robes, no signs, no nothing. They must think if you're stupid enough to do it, you deserve to die. Maybe some people do.
Lastly, Macchu Picchu would be awesome with you and 20 of your closest friends. Not so fun with 2999 other people, many of which shouldn't be there. Please don't take any offense, but if you're over 70, if you need a cane, or if you don't normally scale ancient ruins, you shouldn't be there. I could have covered twice as much ground if it weren't for tour groups and old people. I do, very much, have a new appreciation though. When someone stops in front of you at the mall, and you're like "come on!", its a little different than when someone stops in front of you at 8000 feet on a two foot wide path with a 50 foot drop off the side. I'll be more kind at the mall from now on :)
Alright, I know, wrap it up. I rested a little bit in the village, got on the train and headed out. Our two hour trip back was over three because the engine broke down and they had to bring out another one. I'm thinking about writing a strongly worded letter :)
I made it back to town, rockslide on the road and all (again, awesome Peruvian taxi driving). I was able to talk to Spencer for a couple of minutes, which was awesome. Spencer, you won't remember this, but you were more enticed by the phone than me and you hung up on me :)
I grabbed some dinner in a resteruant closeby and came back here to type away. There. My day in a very long nutshell. Hope you enjoyed, I did (believe it or not).
My day started out simply enough, 7:00 am local time. What was I looking forward to? A nice warm shower. Do 17th century montassori's have hot water? No. Do they have hot water in 2009? Nope. So, I rinsed off the best I good between the ice chuncks and got dressed.
The 20 minute tax ride from here to the train station was eventless. It was a pretty drive, through the outskirts of Cusco and into a small town of Poroy. I arrived just in time to get on the train and we chugged out of the station. Now, PeruRail runs on time when it comes to departure. It, however, does not run on time when it comes to arrivals. Our two hour ride took just over 3 1/2 hours. Of those 3 1/2 hours, only the last 1/2 hour was worth looking out the window. It was pretty, don't get me wrong. But once you've seen one phesant tending her crop or cows, you've seen them all.
PeruRail runs its trains between walk and slow job. I'm not sure if it's because of the tracks, or because of the trains themselves, but we were passed on occasion by cows. Big, ugly, nasty Peruvian cows. They must have thought we were standing still.
The train ride was nice, but I'm going to complain a little. Next to me were two couples, both from the United States. They talked the entire time. THE ENTIRE TIME. And they weren't philosophsying about the history of the world. No. They were talking about the most useless of junk. Even the old Peruvian lady sitting across from me, who I know spoke no English, was pissed. It was just plain annoying. Now, I tend to be a bit negative sometimes around people, and I tend to let it really piss me off (yes, I was still pissed off). But in this 3 plus hour ride, I developed my own take on talking. I'm going to save that for tomorrow during my 7 hour layover in the airport, but you should look forward to that one :)
The last 1/2 hour was gorgeous. Rushing river, jungle like surroundings, insanely tall mountains. You travel in this huge ravine and the mountains around you must be 2500 feet tall. Amazing. I could post a million pictures and it wouldn't do it justice.
Upon arrival in the village below Macchu Picchu, we all got off the train and I scrambled to find the buses because there are NO MARKINGS WHATSOEVER! I finally found the buses, paid for my ticket and up the hill we went. The ride took about 20 minutes and we went a hell of a lot faster than the train did. Wow. The road is mostly one lane, drop off on the side and no forgiveness. I never closed my eyes, but I thought about it.
We arrived at Macchu Picchu without falling off, and the picture taking began. I took somewhere over 200 pictures, and I'm going to show you every last one of them (just kidding). You go through an entry gate and pay the fee, which is pretty expensive. You round the corner on the trail and there it is (well, part of it). It was amazing to see (for about the first 45 minutes).
I spent the morning walking around pretty much every inch of the area. Now, mind you, at 8000 plus feet in elevation, walking up and down isn't as easy as it is at, say, the ocean. I'd take three steps, stop. Take three steps, stop. It took a long time to cover ground like that. I ventured, I took pictures, I rest, and it started again. All this time, it was lightly misting. Around an hour into my trek, it turned into a downpour. I was soaked. I caught some last good pictures, and I was off to find "lunch".
I had read the the ritzy buffet in the lodge was good, so I partook. It was $33.00 American, and not worth a tenth of that. But, at century old ruins, who will complain? :) I, unforuntatly, have since found out that the water there was not cleansed and am paying the concequences. To add to that, I forgot to pack that as part of my travel medical arsenal. But, I'll be fine.
As I finished up lunch, the sun came out and so did I. I was ready for another climb, rest, climb around the ruins. First, I hit the bathroom. Now, the bathroom at Macchu Picchu costs 1 soles. I had a pocket full of them and having braved it before heading off the first time, it was old hat. As I walked in, this older gentleman (60 plus?), an American tourist, was trying to enter and he and the young gal managing the station were having a breakdown in communication. She said 1 soles, please. And he said, "what?". And she said, "1 soles please", and he said "what?". So, I paid his way in. About 1/2 way down the hall, he said to me "Thank you son, I had no idea what the hell that gal was asking me". :) Having been in the same situation about 20,000 times here in Peru, I understood completely.
I made it out into the ruins and sunshine again, and had a blast. I sweated to death, but had a blast. I took a million more pictures and hit the road.
Now, let me tell you about Macchu Picchu. Very nice, glad I went, wouldn't have missed it, probably don't need to go back. It was amazing, and the engineer in me was like "they did what with rocks? Holy cow!". Of course, everything they tell about thus being the guardhouse and that being the sacred stone is hypothesized because no one is around to tell you. They're all gone, and probably because they built a city in the mountains in the middle of %##$%@%! I'm glad I went, I can't describe what I say, the pictures will say it all. I will say two thing: (1) The Inca's who built Macchu Picchu were not afraid of heights, not one ounce, and (2) the current day Peruvians do not believe in safety. At all. I could have walked right off the side of a 1000 foot cliff with no warning. No robes, no signs, no nothing. They must think if you're stupid enough to do it, you deserve to die. Maybe some people do.
Lastly, Macchu Picchu would be awesome with you and 20 of your closest friends. Not so fun with 2999 other people, many of which shouldn't be there. Please don't take any offense, but if you're over 70, if you need a cane, or if you don't normally scale ancient ruins, you shouldn't be there. I could have covered twice as much ground if it weren't for tour groups and old people. I do, very much, have a new appreciation though. When someone stops in front of you at the mall, and you're like "come on!", its a little different than when someone stops in front of you at 8000 feet on a two foot wide path with a 50 foot drop off the side. I'll be more kind at the mall from now on :)
Alright, I know, wrap it up. I rested a little bit in the village, got on the train and headed out. Our two hour trip back was over three because the engine broke down and they had to bring out another one. I'm thinking about writing a strongly worded letter :)
I made it back to town, rockslide on the road and all (again, awesome Peruvian taxi driving). I was able to talk to Spencer for a couple of minutes, which was awesome. Spencer, you won't remember this, but you were more enticed by the phone than me and you hung up on me :)
I grabbed some dinner in a resteruant closeby and came back here to type away. There. My day in a very long nutshell. Hope you enjoyed, I did (believe it or not).
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
DAY #4, Entry #2 - No doubt about 11,000 feet
So, I read the warnings, took the medication, and holy cow. There is such a thing as altitude sickness. I have a splitting headache, my body is sore as heck, and I had to stop every 100 feet or so on the way back to my hotel (the walk away from the hotel was downhill). This is ridiculous. I read that the air here has 30% oxygen. Well, I definetly have way less than 70% of my energy!
Oh yeah, city was nice, did some shopping, took lots of pictures. Time to go find food. Mmmmmmmmm :)
UPDATE:
Ah, ha! My blog was right. Unfortunalty, I looked at my return trip on Thursday, not my flight today. Whoops!
Oh yeah, city was nice, did some shopping, took lots of pictures. Time to go find food. Mmmmmmmmm :)
UPDATE:
Ah, ha! My blog was right. Unfortunalty, I looked at my return trip on Thursday, not my flight today. Whoops!
DAY #4 - Flight to Cusco!
Well, I have enountered my first problem of the trip. I woke up this morning, planning to arrive at the aiport around 10:30 for my 12:10 flight to Cusco. Travel to the airport was smooth and timely, and let me tell you, if I ever hear that a Peruvian taxi driver is entering NASCAR, I'm selling my house and putting all my money into him. I'm still a bit jittery from the ride.
Upon entering the airport, I walked up to the TACA Airlines desk (after momentarily scrambling to find my passport). For some reason, there were taking down all the robes and stuff. I asked the attendant about my flight to Cusco, and he said there were no more, the last one had left at 10:10 and the next one was 5:45 tomorrow morning. Ah, 10:10 am. Maybe I should have looked at my resveration instead of depending on my blog. Crud.
He booked me on the 5:45 am flight for tomorrow, and I hurried (ala Amazing Race) to the TAN ticket counter to see if they had any more flights. $176.00 American dollars later, I had ticket in hand and the lesson was learned. I have to call TACA today somehow and tell them not to cancel my return trip since I won't be on the one tomorrow morning.
The first 50 minutes of my flight were eventless and I finished a very good book. The last 15 minutes, however, were somewhere between scary and change my pants when I get off the flight. Holy cow. Between the updrafts of the 15,000 foot mountains around Cusco, and our desperate need to desend, the ride down was ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Cusco sits in a very deep valley with mountains all around it. We circled around the end of the city and made a steep decent into the airport. When we landed, all the passengers clapped, and I have no doubt they do this every time.
I left the airport via taxi, and arrived at my hotel around 15 minutes later (and 15 minutes ago). The hotel is interesting, it was a montasori built in the late 17th century to house nuns. My room is small (no, I mean SMALL) and I don't have any windows. I'm sitting now on the patio outside my room looking over the lobby/courtyard at the small cafe they have here. I love the hotel and will manage in my room!
The city of Cusco is my city. I love it. The mountains are beautiful, the buildings are old, and the streets are quieter (still very busy, though). As I came through town, all of the schools were letting out and the kids were bouncing home in their uniforms (every single one of them). I'm excited to go explore, now, this city started sometime in the 1600's and built in the shape of a puma. I have no doubt my camera will be filled with pictures!
Upon entering the airport, I walked up to the TACA Airlines desk (after momentarily scrambling to find my passport). For some reason, there were taking down all the robes and stuff. I asked the attendant about my flight to Cusco, and he said there were no more, the last one had left at 10:10 and the next one was 5:45 tomorrow morning. Ah, 10:10 am. Maybe I should have looked at my resveration instead of depending on my blog. Crud.
He booked me on the 5:45 am flight for tomorrow, and I hurried (ala Amazing Race) to the TAN ticket counter to see if they had any more flights. $176.00 American dollars later, I had ticket in hand and the lesson was learned. I have to call TACA today somehow and tell them not to cancel my return trip since I won't be on the one tomorrow morning.
The first 50 minutes of my flight were eventless and I finished a very good book. The last 15 minutes, however, were somewhere between scary and change my pants when I get off the flight. Holy cow. Between the updrafts of the 15,000 foot mountains around Cusco, and our desperate need to desend, the ride down was ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Cusco sits in a very deep valley with mountains all around it. We circled around the end of the city and made a steep decent into the airport. When we landed, all the passengers clapped, and I have no doubt they do this every time.
I left the airport via taxi, and arrived at my hotel around 15 minutes later (and 15 minutes ago). The hotel is interesting, it was a montasori built in the late 17th century to house nuns. My room is small (no, I mean SMALL) and I don't have any windows. I'm sitting now on the patio outside my room looking over the lobby/courtyard at the small cafe they have here. I love the hotel and will manage in my room!
The city of Cusco is my city. I love it. The mountains are beautiful, the buildings are old, and the streets are quieter (still very busy, though). As I came through town, all of the schools were letting out and the kids were bouncing home in their uniforms (every single one of them). I'm excited to go explore, now, this city started sometime in the 1600's and built in the shape of a puma. I have no doubt my camera will be filled with pictures!
Monday, November 16, 2009
DAY #3, Entry #3 - Return trip and the city
A couple of short notes:
1. After doing some quick math, it appears that over the 28 hour period of my return trip, I will be in the air for just over 12 hours, and will have visited five different airports (Cusco, Lima, Houston, Seattle and Spokane). Not sure who planned this leg of the trip, but he should be shot.
2. The buildings in the city of Lima are amazing. There is a striking mix between old and new (and old means 17th century old). The have renovated some of the old buildings to be new, massive stores, while others probably don't look much different than the day they were built. The mixture is amazing, and its very obvious that they did so because of the limited space. So much of this city is so old, and there is so little room to do anything other than use what was already there. In some cases, century old churches reside right next to renvated superstores. I wonder what the price of real estate is here in the city....
3. I'm dying to find a set of Peruvian statistics, to find out how many people are killed each year trying to cross the road. There must be an insane amount, because cars fly into intersections filled with people at about 45 mph. The people simply think, no cars are within 20 feet, I'll cross. They all have death wishes, if you ask me
4. The city is much different during the week than on the weekend. Its a good thing I went out exploring yesterday, and great that I hit the churches while they were open. Many are closed now, and I would have missed some very beautiful sights. Many of the shops that were walled in or caged up are open now, and the look of the streets has changed because of that. Still very primative, but better.
I'm off now to rest a little!
1. After doing some quick math, it appears that over the 28 hour period of my return trip, I will be in the air for just over 12 hours, and will have visited five different airports (Cusco, Lima, Houston, Seattle and Spokane). Not sure who planned this leg of the trip, but he should be shot.
2. The buildings in the city of Lima are amazing. There is a striking mix between old and new (and old means 17th century old). The have renovated some of the old buildings to be new, massive stores, while others probably don't look much different than the day they were built. The mixture is amazing, and its very obvious that they did so because of the limited space. So much of this city is so old, and there is so little room to do anything other than use what was already there. In some cases, century old churches reside right next to renvated superstores. I wonder what the price of real estate is here in the city....
3. I'm dying to find a set of Peruvian statistics, to find out how many people are killed each year trying to cross the road. There must be an insane amount, because cars fly into intersections filled with people at about 45 mph. The people simply think, no cars are within 20 feet, I'll cross. They all have death wishes, if you ask me
4. The city is much different during the week than on the weekend. Its a good thing I went out exploring yesterday, and great that I hit the churches while they were open. Many are closed now, and I would have missed some very beautiful sights. Many of the shops that were walled in or caged up are open now, and the look of the streets has changed because of that. Still very primative, but better.
I'm off now to rest a little!
MESSAGE TO SPENCER
Spencer,
I've had the intention of writing this all along, but haven't done so yet because I didn't know what to say. I'm not sure I know what to say now, but walking around this afternoon and thinking about what I would tell you if I could (in say 12 years), my eyes got misty and I figured it must be time.
I'll admit that I have written all this with some romantic notion that someday you will read this and find something in it. I don't know if that will happen, I don't know if you'll be interested. But, I hope you can listen to your dear old dad, even if most kids don't. :)
Your dad grew up being afraid to be outside of his box, outside of his comfort zone. I learned that things you didn't know might hurt you, and that risk was not often rewarded. Your great grandfather and grandmother (love you mom) often showed me that risk was a scary thing and that it might be best to stay away from things that you couldn't "control". And, I love being in my box. I love my comfort zone. Its so darn nice in my comfort zone. I hate talking to people, I love knowing where everything is, I love to be in control of EVERYTHING. Life is so much easier in my comfort zone and, I used to think, so much more rewarding.
If I could tell you one thing (and have you listen), I would tell you not to have a comfort zone. Actually, I would tell you to have a comfort zone with everything in it. The world is a scary place. People can be scary, places can be scary, doing new things can be scary. But don't put those outside of your comfort zone. Embrace them, and doing them won't feel so scary.
I'm scared to eat here. I don't know where the food came from, I have a hell of a time ordering it, and I hate sitting there by myself with everyone around me speaking a different language. But, what am I going to do? Not eat? Of course not. I ordered, I ate, I haven't died (yet). In fact, I just had the best asparagus wrapped in ham with a drizzle of some kind of sauce. It was wonderful, and had I gone to KFC like I thought I might, had I been afraid to sit and to order, and to enjoy my dinner, I would have missed it. I stepped outside my comfort zone the minute I boarded the plane, and I have loved every minute of it.
If you need help making the world your comfort zone, ask for help. Ask me, ask your mom, ask your grandparents. We have all experienced a million different things, and we can help, provide advice or watch from the sidelines. I don't think a single one of us would hesitate. I promise to give you what you need to grow that comfort zone. If you ask what the grass feels like around the Eiffel Tower, I will take you there. When you get older, and don't need a "tour-guide", I'll make sure you get there, and I'll worry like hell. I want you to grow your comfort zone and enjoy everything the world has to offer.
The world is a scary place, Spencer, but the more you explore it, the more you get to know it, the more comfortable you'll be. I'm here to help you do that, in any way you want.
Love,
You dad
I've had the intention of writing this all along, but haven't done so yet because I didn't know what to say. I'm not sure I know what to say now, but walking around this afternoon and thinking about what I would tell you if I could (in say 12 years), my eyes got misty and I figured it must be time.
I'll admit that I have written all this with some romantic notion that someday you will read this and find something in it. I don't know if that will happen, I don't know if you'll be interested. But, I hope you can listen to your dear old dad, even if most kids don't. :)
Your dad grew up being afraid to be outside of his box, outside of his comfort zone. I learned that things you didn't know might hurt you, and that risk was not often rewarded. Your great grandfather and grandmother (love you mom) often showed me that risk was a scary thing and that it might be best to stay away from things that you couldn't "control". And, I love being in my box. I love my comfort zone. Its so darn nice in my comfort zone. I hate talking to people, I love knowing where everything is, I love to be in control of EVERYTHING. Life is so much easier in my comfort zone and, I used to think, so much more rewarding.
If I could tell you one thing (and have you listen), I would tell you not to have a comfort zone. Actually, I would tell you to have a comfort zone with everything in it. The world is a scary place. People can be scary, places can be scary, doing new things can be scary. But don't put those outside of your comfort zone. Embrace them, and doing them won't feel so scary.
I'm scared to eat here. I don't know where the food came from, I have a hell of a time ordering it, and I hate sitting there by myself with everyone around me speaking a different language. But, what am I going to do? Not eat? Of course not. I ordered, I ate, I haven't died (yet). In fact, I just had the best asparagus wrapped in ham with a drizzle of some kind of sauce. It was wonderful, and had I gone to KFC like I thought I might, had I been afraid to sit and to order, and to enjoy my dinner, I would have missed it. I stepped outside my comfort zone the minute I boarded the plane, and I have loved every minute of it.
If you need help making the world your comfort zone, ask for help. Ask me, ask your mom, ask your grandparents. We have all experienced a million different things, and we can help, provide advice or watch from the sidelines. I don't think a single one of us would hesitate. I promise to give you what you need to grow that comfort zone. If you ask what the grass feels like around the Eiffel Tower, I will take you there. When you get older, and don't need a "tour-guide", I'll make sure you get there, and I'll worry like hell. I want you to grow your comfort zone and enjoy everything the world has to offer.
The world is a scary place, Spencer, but the more you explore it, the more you get to know it, the more comfortable you'll be. I'm here to help you do that, in any way you want.
Love,
You dad
DAY #3, Entry #2 - Dumb American tourists :)
Well, holy crud. I'm back in my hotel lobby, happy to be here. Let me tell you about my latest adventure.......
It started off simple and innocent enough. I had lunch at McDonalds, which tasted a lot like home. Oddly enough, the "medium" size drink here is about the same size as an American kid's size. Go figure.
I did a little shopping, cruised through the same shopping area looking at shoes and clothes. Prices here are decent, either really cheap or really expensive. I've bought a couple of things, nothing too wild. I'm not sure how to get everything back and I'm not sure what to get everyone.
At the end of the shopping blocks, I decided to keep walking some. I wanted to get a better picture of the slums on the hills. The road crossed over the river that runs through the city, and they must have a saying here that equates to "the wrong side of the tracks". The minute I crossed the river, the city changed. The first 10 blocks or so I walked were about the same, the street was relativly clean and the people were very nice. At the end of the "good" blocks was a church, which I stopped to photograph. Just before I made it to this point, an older gentleman polishing shoes along the road yelled at me. Given the obvious language barrier (and the fact that I am totally incompentant in Spanish), I had no idea what he was saying. It was clear, though, that he was telling me to go no further.
About this time, two young boys who had just gotten out of school heard the gentleman yelling at me. They didn't speak English either, but they turned around and made it clear that I needed to stop and not go any further. On the other side of the street, the city turned into something I would find hard to describe in words. It went from filthy to significant filth, something I've only seen in the movies and in pictures. The houses were falling down, there was garbage on the streets, and the smell was not pleasant. The people still seemed very nice, but a bit surprised to see me there.
I should clarify and say that at this point, I could not have looked anything more like a tourist. I had my camera out, my backpack on and was doing my best to stand out as much as possible. My camera and my well-being were about the only things of value I had on me.
Now, call me stupid (don't be concerned, I'm obviously writing this), but I wanted to continue on. Looking back, I should have taken a picture, but I wanted to see more. I was literally speachless and actionless. I honestly made it about two more steps and I was stopped by some sort of police staff. It appeared to be a male officer and a female "social worker". The female asked me something along the lines of "what the hell are you doing here" in Spanish, and I replied that I only spoke English. The male officer said I needed to leave. I replied that I was happy to do so, and he said "no, leave now. You must turn around now, return to city.". He was polite in letting me know that I could not go any further.
I have no doubt that reading this story will not have the same effect as being there. It was clearly a different world, and one that I was not welcome in. I'm not sure why they stopped me, whether it was for my own well-being or if there were things they did not want me to see. It might have been both, and part of the reason I came here was to see those parts of the world that didn't "want" me. I turned around feeling sad that I had not gotten to see more, but interested that a man and two children who didn't know me from Adam would stop me from going further. I left not being sure if I wanted to thank them or curse them for not letting me go further.
Many of you know that I love politics, I love business and I love ecomonics. I'm not well educated on all the different types of these that the world has "tried", but I'm interested. In the US, I can't help myself from feeling that the less fortunate on the street and in life have chosen that life because America is the land of choices. Surely, no one could be homeless or poor by anything other than choice. There are too many opportunities for that to happen. But, I walk here thinking something completely different. Its as if many of these people have never been given a choice. There are not many opportunities here, especially in a city of 8 million people. Have I been wrong in my thinking at home? How are the people who are poor and unhealthy in the US any different than those here? I have no doubt that a Peruvian from the slums that I experienced here would NEVER walk into a bad neighborhood in Spokane and feel at home. Their slums are a million times worse than anything like that. But what "slums" do we have that equate, where people are living in conditions far worse than they should be?
I think it's time to go rest my aching body now. I have probably covered 10 or 12 miles by foot in the last two days, just walking and looking. My REI socks are awesome (to those of you who said "you paid how much for socks!").
My flight out of here tomorrow is at 12:10 pm local time, and I'll be on my way to Cusco. I know there is so much more to experience here in Lima, but I am looking forward to less bustle and more old city. Adios for now :)
It started off simple and innocent enough. I had lunch at McDonalds, which tasted a lot like home. Oddly enough, the "medium" size drink here is about the same size as an American kid's size. Go figure.
I did a little shopping, cruised through the same shopping area looking at shoes and clothes. Prices here are decent, either really cheap or really expensive. I've bought a couple of things, nothing too wild. I'm not sure how to get everything back and I'm not sure what to get everyone.
At the end of the shopping blocks, I decided to keep walking some. I wanted to get a better picture of the slums on the hills. The road crossed over the river that runs through the city, and they must have a saying here that equates to "the wrong side of the tracks". The minute I crossed the river, the city changed. The first 10 blocks or so I walked were about the same, the street was relativly clean and the people were very nice. At the end of the "good" blocks was a church, which I stopped to photograph. Just before I made it to this point, an older gentleman polishing shoes along the road yelled at me. Given the obvious language barrier (and the fact that I am totally incompentant in Spanish), I had no idea what he was saying. It was clear, though, that he was telling me to go no further.
About this time, two young boys who had just gotten out of school heard the gentleman yelling at me. They didn't speak English either, but they turned around and made it clear that I needed to stop and not go any further. On the other side of the street, the city turned into something I would find hard to describe in words. It went from filthy to significant filth, something I've only seen in the movies and in pictures. The houses were falling down, there was garbage on the streets, and the smell was not pleasant. The people still seemed very nice, but a bit surprised to see me there.
I should clarify and say that at this point, I could not have looked anything more like a tourist. I had my camera out, my backpack on and was doing my best to stand out as much as possible. My camera and my well-being were about the only things of value I had on me.
Now, call me stupid (don't be concerned, I'm obviously writing this), but I wanted to continue on. Looking back, I should have taken a picture, but I wanted to see more. I was literally speachless and actionless. I honestly made it about two more steps and I was stopped by some sort of police staff. It appeared to be a male officer and a female "social worker". The female asked me something along the lines of "what the hell are you doing here" in Spanish, and I replied that I only spoke English. The male officer said I needed to leave. I replied that I was happy to do so, and he said "no, leave now. You must turn around now, return to city.". He was polite in letting me know that I could not go any further.
I have no doubt that reading this story will not have the same effect as being there. It was clearly a different world, and one that I was not welcome in. I'm not sure why they stopped me, whether it was for my own well-being or if there were things they did not want me to see. It might have been both, and part of the reason I came here was to see those parts of the world that didn't "want" me. I turned around feeling sad that I had not gotten to see more, but interested that a man and two children who didn't know me from Adam would stop me from going further. I left not being sure if I wanted to thank them or curse them for not letting me go further.
Many of you know that I love politics, I love business and I love ecomonics. I'm not well educated on all the different types of these that the world has "tried", but I'm interested. In the US, I can't help myself from feeling that the less fortunate on the street and in life have chosen that life because America is the land of choices. Surely, no one could be homeless or poor by anything other than choice. There are too many opportunities for that to happen. But, I walk here thinking something completely different. Its as if many of these people have never been given a choice. There are not many opportunities here, especially in a city of 8 million people. Have I been wrong in my thinking at home? How are the people who are poor and unhealthy in the US any different than those here? I have no doubt that a Peruvian from the slums that I experienced here would NEVER walk into a bad neighborhood in Spokane and feel at home. Their slums are a million times worse than anything like that. But what "slums" do we have that equate, where people are living in conditions far worse than they should be?
I think it's time to go rest my aching body now. I have probably covered 10 or 12 miles by foot in the last two days, just walking and looking. My REI socks are awesome (to those of you who said "you paid how much for socks!").
My flight out of here tomorrow is at 12:10 pm local time, and I'll be on my way to Cusco. I know there is so much more to experience here in Lima, but I am looking forward to less bustle and more old city. Adios for now :)
DAY #3 - New hotel, time to go explore
I have literally taken a step back in time. Check that, a gigantic leap. I just finished my 6 block trek from my first hotel (The Sheraton) to my hotel for tonight, the Gran Hotel Bolivar. Somewhere along the way, I went from 2009 to 1900 before I entered this hotel built around then. It appears as though it has not been updated since (and smells like it too). The building is gorgeous, the location is excellent and the room is, well, a place to spend the night. It has a bed, a very small TV, a bathroom and not much more. To shift from a flat screen TV, a comfortable bed and turn-down service to this is perfect! I may be napping on the plane tomorrow, but am glad I made the leap!
I seriously do not understand the weather here. Its like 67 degress outside, a little overcast and in my six block walk, I must have sweated off 4 gallons. Its insane. I step outside of my hotel room and I instantly get sweaty. I will have to burn these clothes when I return.
My plans today are few and far between. I am going to go find lunch now, maybe do a little shopping (this country is obsessed with Puma and I'd love to find another pair of unique Puma shoes!), and I'd like to go sit in the Plaza San Martin in front of the hotel and read.
The isolation of being someplace alone, where people do not speak like you and you cannot have a conversation, is starting to hit me. I've had a few short conversations here and there, but only pleasantries and the such. I miss the simplest of discussions, the "oh my gosh, that it amazing". This blog has been my only outlet, explaining some of my ramblings :) I've said before that I could live in remoteness, with no one to talk to and no one to see. I might have to revise that, that I could live in remoteness as long as I have someone to share the sunsets with (not sunrises, too early). And, of course, they'd have to speak English!
I seriously do not understand the weather here. Its like 67 degress outside, a little overcast and in my six block walk, I must have sweated off 4 gallons. Its insane. I step outside of my hotel room and I instantly get sweaty. I will have to burn these clothes when I return.
My plans today are few and far between. I am going to go find lunch now, maybe do a little shopping (this country is obsessed with Puma and I'd love to find another pair of unique Puma shoes!), and I'd like to go sit in the Plaza San Martin in front of the hotel and read.
The isolation of being someplace alone, where people do not speak like you and you cannot have a conversation, is starting to hit me. I've had a few short conversations here and there, but only pleasantries and the such. I miss the simplest of discussions, the "oh my gosh, that it amazing". This blog has been my only outlet, explaining some of my ramblings :) I've said before that I could live in remoteness, with no one to talk to and no one to see. I might have to revise that, that I could live in remoteness as long as I have someone to share the sunsets with (not sunrises, too early). And, of course, they'd have to speak English!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
DAY #2, Entry #4 - Afternoon journey
Wow, what a day. I am having a wonderful time. After my last post, I set off to find a couple of specific things, namely the Iglesia de San Francisco. Under this church, which was built in the late 1600's, are the graves of nearly 25,000 people. Their bones have been arranged and displayed in catacombs to celebrate their death.
I'll start with good news. I have located a McDonalds, so the chances of me shrivling away to nothing are slim to none :) You can rest easy now.
Along the way, I also discovered the Plaza San Martin and the Plaza de Armas. Both were beautiful and filled with people. Across from the Plaza San Martin, I discovered my hotel for tomorrow night! It is a beautiful looking hotel, and located right in the middle of the action. I love it, and I can't wait! Tomorrow after checkout, I will make the 5 block walk to the new hotel and enjoy my new surroundings.
The shopping center I passed through, lining the block on each side, must have been 14 blocks long and had a shoe store every 40 feet. The people on the street are wonderful, and only a few have pestered me with literature or inappropriate stuff (and they do perster). Panhandlers are few and far between, even though you can tell that much of this city sits in and is surrounded by extreme poor.
Upon arriving at the San Francisco, I toured the church as I had done about 4 other times today (once during mass). The church was beautiful, and the displays in the halls surrounding it depicted many awe inspiring scenes. Next door was the entrance to the catacombs, so I decided to go in. I paid the 5 soles, which I assumed was an entrance fee. It turns out, this was the price of the tour, so I was the one and only participant in the English tour for the hour (possibly the week). The tour was great, the guide was decent with english, the sights were amazing given how old they were, but no pictures were allowed. I will have to do some follow-up and learn more about some specific dates and events. I thought the emaculate conception was when Jesus was concieved, but they celebrate that on December 8th and that would mean Jesus was in the womb for 12 plus months. Is that true? They also had beautiful paintings, one room filled with paintings of each of the apostles and an item that represented them (cross, bible, knife, etc.). Another wall was painted with the Peruvian version of the last supper, including children, guinea pigs, and the devil. The tour was worthwhile!
I have taken note that the majority of people in Peru, who I assume are native Peruvians, are fairly short. It is very seldom that I have seen anyone near my hiegth, which makes taking pictures very easy.
I am going to grab some dinner now, a sandwhich downstairs. I might venture out again this evening to sit in the park near my hotel. Although I am sure there is crime here like there is in any big city, and I will take the appropriate precautions, the people have all been very welcoming. One boy in a shoe shop I stopped in must not have seen white people very much because he stared at me the entire time I was there. I stared right back. Just kidding, I smiled at him and he smiled back. :)
I'll start with good news. I have located a McDonalds, so the chances of me shrivling away to nothing are slim to none :) You can rest easy now.
Along the way, I also discovered the Plaza San Martin and the Plaza de Armas. Both were beautiful and filled with people. Across from the Plaza San Martin, I discovered my hotel for tomorrow night! It is a beautiful looking hotel, and located right in the middle of the action. I love it, and I can't wait! Tomorrow after checkout, I will make the 5 block walk to the new hotel and enjoy my new surroundings.
The shopping center I passed through, lining the block on each side, must have been 14 blocks long and had a shoe store every 40 feet. The people on the street are wonderful, and only a few have pestered me with literature or inappropriate stuff (and they do perster). Panhandlers are few and far between, even though you can tell that much of this city sits in and is surrounded by extreme poor.
Upon arriving at the San Francisco, I toured the church as I had done about 4 other times today (once during mass). The church was beautiful, and the displays in the halls surrounding it depicted many awe inspiring scenes. Next door was the entrance to the catacombs, so I decided to go in. I paid the 5 soles, which I assumed was an entrance fee. It turns out, this was the price of the tour, so I was the one and only participant in the English tour for the hour (possibly the week). The tour was great, the guide was decent with english, the sights were amazing given how old they were, but no pictures were allowed. I will have to do some follow-up and learn more about some specific dates and events. I thought the emaculate conception was when Jesus was concieved, but they celebrate that on December 8th and that would mean Jesus was in the womb for 12 plus months. Is that true? They also had beautiful paintings, one room filled with paintings of each of the apostles and an item that represented them (cross, bible, knife, etc.). Another wall was painted with the Peruvian version of the last supper, including children, guinea pigs, and the devil. The tour was worthwhile!
I have taken note that the majority of people in Peru, who I assume are native Peruvians, are fairly short. It is very seldom that I have seen anyone near my hiegth, which makes taking pictures very easy.
I am going to grab some dinner now, a sandwhich downstairs. I might venture out again this evening to sit in the park near my hotel. Although I am sure there is crime here like there is in any big city, and I will take the appropriate precautions, the people have all been very welcoming. One boy in a shoe shop I stopped in must not have seen white people very much because he stared at me the entire time I was there. I stared right back. Just kidding, I smiled at him and he smiled back. :)
DAY #2, Entry #3 - Lunch
Alright, minor adjustment to my previous statment. Lunch cost me somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 US dollars. Yeah, ouch. It was good, but not that good. One US Dollar is equal to about 2.84 Nuevo Soles. I'll be more careful going forward :)
DAY #2, Entry #2 - Lunch and the city
My day started off with lunch in the hotel in a really nice resteruant. I had the buffett, which was a very interesting experience. I have no doubt that the waiter asked his friends what the heck he did to get stuck with me as a customer. The food was very good, but it was a far different experience that eating at a resteruant in the states. They brought the meat around to you one type after another, asking if you wanted a slice. The beef was especially good.
I definetly need to figure out how the exchance rate works, and how much everything is actually costing me. I don't think things are expensive, but I have no idea. I'll be looking into that now.
After lunch, I walked around my area of the city for about 2 hours, and loved every moment of it. I loved seeing the people, hearing the sounds, looking at the buildings and enjoying the sunshine. Its about 70 degrees here, but it feels very hot because its muggy. I came back to the hotel hot and probably stinky. The museum was closed, which was okay with me. I very much enjoyed just walking and looking. I went into a beautiful catholic church, and saw a million old buildings.
I honestly believe that the richest people in this city are the people who fix and install horns. I have never heard so many horns, and for no purpose whatsoever. And not simply normal, beep beep horns. One that sound like sirens, and car alarms and goodness knows what else. They use them to attract customers and get people's attention. There must be 15 taxis or buses for every 1 normal car on the road. I'm glad I'm walking, and I hope they choose not to hit the dorky white tourist.
I'm just in the room to write this, post a couple of pictures, and head back out. I've looked up a couple of places I'd specifically like to visit, so I'll head to them now.
On a minor note of bad news, they don't sell Mt. Dew in Peru and the Pepsi (and Coke) come in 55 gallon drums. I did find a large Walmart like store and got some crackers, water and Pepsi. Thank goodness for some kind of cola :)
I definetly need to figure out how the exchance rate works, and how much everything is actually costing me. I don't think things are expensive, but I have no idea. I'll be looking into that now.
After lunch, I walked around my area of the city for about 2 hours, and loved every moment of it. I loved seeing the people, hearing the sounds, looking at the buildings and enjoying the sunshine. Its about 70 degrees here, but it feels very hot because its muggy. I came back to the hotel hot and probably stinky. The museum was closed, which was okay with me. I very much enjoyed just walking and looking. I went into a beautiful catholic church, and saw a million old buildings.
I honestly believe that the richest people in this city are the people who fix and install horns. I have never heard so many horns, and for no purpose whatsoever. And not simply normal, beep beep horns. One that sound like sirens, and car alarms and goodness knows what else. They use them to attract customers and get people's attention. There must be 15 taxis or buses for every 1 normal car on the road. I'm glad I'm walking, and I hope they choose not to hit the dorky white tourist.
I'm just in the room to write this, post a couple of pictures, and head back out. I've looked up a couple of places I'd specifically like to visit, so I'll head to them now.
On a minor note of bad news, they don't sell Mt. Dew in Peru and the Pepsi (and Coke) come in 55 gallon drums. I did find a large Walmart like store and got some crackers, water and Pepsi. Thank goodness for some kind of cola :)
DAY #2 - Fun facts for the day
Just a couple:
1. The city of Lima has approximatly 8 million people in it, far denser than most American cities.
2. As of this morning, I weigh 89 kg. Since my search for food so far has not gone well, we'll see what that number is later in the trip!
Here are a couple of pictures of the view from the window in my room:
1. The city of Lima has approximatly 8 million people in it, far denser than most American cities.
2. As of this morning, I weigh 89 kg. Since my search for food so far has not gone well, we'll see what that number is later in the trip!
Here are a couple of pictures of the view from the window in my room:
Saturday, November 14, 2009
DAY #1 1/2 - I'm in Peru!
Hello everyone from the lovely city of Lima, Peru. After a long day of travel, I have arrived and along the way I have made a number of observations:
1. It finally dawned on me that I have no idea in hell what these people are saying, and a fair number of them have no idea what I am saying. The awesome gentleman who picked me up from the aiport busted out a string of Spanish and all I could do was smile and say "yes". Stupid American Travelers :)
2. There appear to be absolutely no driving laws or rules in the wonderful country of Peru. For those of you who think I should use my blinker more, you should speak to these people, they need to discover theirs.
3. The city at night is wonderful, and so strinking. I have had only a few chances to experience a new city at night, especially a foreign one, and it simply puts the biggest smile on my face. The activity, the lights, the new places amaze me. The drive took about 20 minutes, and for 15 or so of that, I couldn't have told you that we had changed location. The buildings are falling down, there is graffitti absolutely everywhere, and everything has a wall or fence around it. The buildings are very non-descript and I couldn't tell the autodealership from a factory. Spencer, people will tell you to be scared of exploring a new place at night. I say go explore, some of the best things can be had in exploring the city at night.
1. It finally dawned on me that I have no idea in hell what these people are saying, and a fair number of them have no idea what I am saying. The awesome gentleman who picked me up from the aiport busted out a string of Spanish and all I could do was smile and say "yes". Stupid American Travelers :)
2. There appear to be absolutely no driving laws or rules in the wonderful country of Peru. For those of you who think I should use my blinker more, you should speak to these people, they need to discover theirs.
3. The city at night is wonderful, and so strinking. I have had only a few chances to experience a new city at night, especially a foreign one, and it simply puts the biggest smile on my face. The activity, the lights, the new places amaze me. The drive took about 20 minutes, and for 15 or so of that, I couldn't have told you that we had changed location. The buildings are falling down, there is graffitti absolutely everywhere, and everything has a wall or fence around it. The buildings are very non-descript and I couldn't tell the autodealership from a factory. Spencer, people will tell you to be scared of exploring a new place at night. I say go explore, some of the best things can be had in exploring the city at night.
4. About two blocks from my hotel, the surroundings completely changed. I am within walking distance of the Museum of Art (Museo de Arte de Lima), a wonderful statue, and the Center for Justice is just outside my window. I haven't seen a Wendy's or Taco Bell, so I'm a bit concerned, but I will manage.
5. My room is nice, and it has a boudey. I have no idea how to spell or use the damn thing.
6. Because I'm a member of the club for this hotel chain, I got a free upgrade to a room on the club level. Now, I only mention this because the club level is on the highest floor of the hotel (the 19th), and the walkway to the rooms surround a gigantic opening 19 stories deep. For those of you who know I am afraid of heights, I litelly am scared to leave my room now.
7. The row houses just outside the airport were gorgeous in their "structure". There were some missing windows, with big patios and clothes hanging on a clotheslines on the roof. Even in their rough shape, they were beautiful. I would have tried to take a picture had I not been bracing for liekly impact with the cars around us.
I think that might be it for now. I'd love to go walk around some, but I will save that for the morning. The TV is on in the background, and I have my fingers crossed that I can find the button for the english subtitles. Wish me luck!
5. My room is nice, and it has a boudey. I have no idea how to spell or use the damn thing.
6. Because I'm a member of the club for this hotel chain, I got a free upgrade to a room on the club level. Now, I only mention this because the club level is on the highest floor of the hotel (the 19th), and the walkway to the rooms surround a gigantic opening 19 stories deep. For those of you who know I am afraid of heights, I litelly am scared to leave my room now.
7. The row houses just outside the airport were gorgeous in their "structure". There were some missing windows, with big patios and clothes hanging on a clotheslines on the roof. Even in their rough shape, they were beautiful. I would have tried to take a picture had I not been bracing for liekly impact with the cars around us.
I think that might be it for now. I'd love to go walk around some, but I will save that for the morning. The TV is on in the background, and I have my fingers crossed that I can find the button for the english subtitles. Wish me luck!
DAY #2 - Seattle to Houston to Peru
Happy Saturday from Houston, Texas. I just finished a gourmet lunch at Wendy's and thought I'd jump on here before my flight in 1 hr and 45 minutes. Lunch was delicious, but it appears that Houston likes to mix the water they use for their soda at about 1/2 water and 1/2 chlorine. At least I know its healthy, nothing could live in it :)
The flight down was good, I had an open seat next to me, but was only able to sleep for a couple of minutes. Some people are built to sleep on planes, I'm not one of them. I had a family with three small children traveling in the row behind me, and I got on the plane thinking how cute the kids were (although they were a little loud). I got off the plane, though, thinking I would walk the opposite direction of them no matter which way I needed to go. Note to self #1, teach Spencer proper plane etiquette. I've flown enough to give kids a lot of leeway. But these kids will either grow up to be soccer players or that really annoying guy that lives down the street from you.
After the three and a half hour flight, I'm not 100% that I'm going to survive the 6 and 1/2 hour flight without going a little nutty. I thought about trying to catch a wink here in the airport, but maybe if I keep myself a little tired my body will shut down on the plane on its own. I think I'll give Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark a shot on the next flight (set in Peru).
I will arrive in Lima around 11:30 tonight. I arranged for a shuttle though the hotel, and they should be there waiting with a sign for me. I'm not sure how to translate Mr. Dillon in Spanish. Senor Dillon? That would be awesome!
I'll shoot to post again after I land in Lima, but if I'm not able to, I'll do so tomorrow morning after I wake up at 11:30 am :)
The flight down was good, I had an open seat next to me, but was only able to sleep for a couple of minutes. Some people are built to sleep on planes, I'm not one of them. I had a family with three small children traveling in the row behind me, and I got on the plane thinking how cute the kids were (although they were a little loud). I got off the plane, though, thinking I would walk the opposite direction of them no matter which way I needed to go. Note to self #1, teach Spencer proper plane etiquette. I've flown enough to give kids a lot of leeway. But these kids will either grow up to be soccer players or that really annoying guy that lives down the street from you.
After the three and a half hour flight, I'm not 100% that I'm going to survive the 6 and 1/2 hour flight without going a little nutty. I thought about trying to catch a wink here in the airport, but maybe if I keep myself a little tired my body will shut down on the plane on its own. I think I'll give Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark a shot on the next flight (set in Peru).
I will arrive in Lima around 11:30 tonight. I arranged for a shuttle though the hotel, and they should be there waiting with a sign for me. I'm not sure how to translate Mr. Dillon in Spanish. Senor Dillon? That would be awesome!
I'll shoot to post again after I land in Lima, but if I'm not able to, I'll do so tomorrow morning after I wake up at 11:30 am :)
Friday, November 13, 2009
DAY #1 - Trip to Seattle
Well, the journey is underway! I have made it to Seattle and am getting ready to try and get some sleep before getting up at 4:30 am tomorrow morning to board my first flight. Hopefully I'll be able to get at least some sleep tonight.
Only one minor hiccup so far, I forgot shorts. :) Yes, completely forgot them. I was standing in the office this afternoon and it hit me, I forgot to pack shorts. So, after picking me up from the airport here in Seattle, my sister was kind enough to take me to the mall and buy me a pair (yes, I forgot my ID in the car) of questionably ugly shorts. I may have to rebuild my entire wardrobe around them. From there, we made a quick stop at Target for some travel Pringles and then to the racetrack where I laid down a whooping on Kathy.
I'm definitely excited to go and sad to leave behind everything here (even though its only for a week). I was sitting in the airport in Spokane eating a really bad sandwich, and a little girl who was about Spencer's age was sitting just across from me (her mom had her on a leash). I smiled at her and waved a little, and she gave me a gigantic smile, almost like she knew how much I was missing the little one of my own. Listening to her babble and "talk" left me feeling sad and lonely, and missing one of my own "conversations". I'm looking forward to having one when I get back.
Wish me luck, I'm off to sleep. I promise not to wake anyone up tomorrow morning when I get on my flight :)
Only one minor hiccup so far, I forgot shorts. :) Yes, completely forgot them. I was standing in the office this afternoon and it hit me, I forgot to pack shorts. So, after picking me up from the airport here in Seattle, my sister was kind enough to take me to the mall and buy me a pair (yes, I forgot my ID in the car) of questionably ugly shorts. I may have to rebuild my entire wardrobe around them. From there, we made a quick stop at Target for some travel Pringles and then to the racetrack where I laid down a whooping on Kathy.
I'm definitely excited to go and sad to leave behind everything here (even though its only for a week). I was sitting in the airport in Spokane eating a really bad sandwich, and a little girl who was about Spencer's age was sitting just across from me (her mom had her on a leash). I smiled at her and waved a little, and she gave me a gigantic smile, almost like she knew how much I was missing the little one of my own. Listening to her babble and "talk" left me feeling sad and lonely, and missing one of my own "conversations". I'm looking forward to having one when I get back.
Wish me luck, I'm off to sleep. I promise not to wake anyone up tomorrow morning when I get on my flight :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
ENTRY #6 - T-Minus 3 days
The time is almost here, just under three full days and I'll be in Lima, Peru. I am filled with a million different feelings, some good, some scary. I am looking forward to getting on the plane Saturday night and letting the adventure begin. I am well on the way to being fully packed and have no idea how I ended up needing so much stuff. Holy cow.
This trip could not come at a better time. I am desperately in need of an escape from everything, from the stress of life, stress of people, stress of work. I need a reset button. I wake up every morning sad and not knowing who I am. I feel so alive when Spencer is around and so dead to the world the rest of the time. I love knowing that I will come back home with a million stories to share with Spencer now, and for the rest of our lives.
I plan to keep this blog updated as much as possible, and send emails to let people know that I am okay. But, for the most part, this trip is a chance for me to explore the world and me. If you don't hear from me, please don't worry and don't be hurt. I need this time to understand things a little better. Wish me luck, and let the adventure begin. I am scared poopless :)
One last thought regarding my grandma and grandpa. I know if you were both here now, you'd be saying "you're doing what??????". Yes grandma, I will do my best to stay out of trouble and stay away from bad people and yes, grandpa, I will protect my money like it's my first born. I think it may be harder than "just catching a cab" as grandma might suggest, or wiring me money like grandpa would offer if an emergency arose. I'm sure they might ask why I'm doing something so crazy, and unfortunately I can't tell them it's because they gave me the opportunity. So, thank you and don't worry too much (even though they would).
This trip could not come at a better time. I am desperately in need of an escape from everything, from the stress of life, stress of people, stress of work. I need a reset button. I wake up every morning sad and not knowing who I am. I feel so alive when Spencer is around and so dead to the world the rest of the time. I love knowing that I will come back home with a million stories to share with Spencer now, and for the rest of our lives.
I plan to keep this blog updated as much as possible, and send emails to let people know that I am okay. But, for the most part, this trip is a chance for me to explore the world and me. If you don't hear from me, please don't worry and don't be hurt. I need this time to understand things a little better. Wish me luck, and let the adventure begin. I am scared poopless :)
One last thought regarding my grandma and grandpa. I know if you were both here now, you'd be saying "you're doing what??????". Yes grandma, I will do my best to stay out of trouble and stay away from bad people and yes, grandpa, I will protect my money like it's my first born. I think it may be harder than "just catching a cab" as grandma might suggest, or wiring me money like grandpa would offer if an emergency arose. I'm sure they might ask why I'm doing something so crazy, and unfortunately I can't tell them it's because they gave me the opportunity. So, thank you and don't worry too much (even though they would).
Sunday, October 25, 2009
ENTRY #5 - Hotel information
Below is my airline travel information:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Radisson, Seatac Airport
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009
Sheraton Hotel Lima (114503776)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Sheraton Hotel Lima (114503776)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
Gran Hotel Bolivar (Lima, Peru)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
Colonial Palace (Cusco)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009
Colonial Palace (Cusco)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Flight home
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Back home!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Radisson, Seatac Airport
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009
Sheraton Hotel Lima (114503776)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Sheraton Hotel Lima (114503776)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
Gran Hotel Bolivar (Lima, Peru)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
Colonial Palace (Cusco)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009
Colonial Palace (Cusco)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Flight home
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Back home!
ENTRY #4 - Travel to Machu Picchu
I figured out how to get to Machu Picchu (without taking a 22 hour bus ride). I am going to fly from Lima to Cusco, stay the night, take the train up the next day, and fly back to Lima on the third day. Although I lose time in Lima, I couldn't travel all the way to Peru without going to see Machu Picchu. The town of Cusco sounds more laid back, with lots of historical character so a couple of days of exploring should be fun.
The train ride goes from Cusco (elevation 11000) t0 Machu Picchu (elevation 8000 feet). Weird, eh? The town sits higher than the historical ruins! Good thing I have altitude sickness pills!
http://www.perurail.com/web/tper/tper_a2a_home.html
The train ride goes from Cusco (elevation 11000) t0 Machu Picchu (elevation 8000 feet). Weird, eh? The town sits higher than the historical ruins! Good thing I have altitude sickness pills!
http://www.perurail.com/web/tper/tper_a2a_home.html
Sunday, October 11, 2009
ENTRY #3 - Hotel reservations
The time is getting closer, and I've booked my first set of reservations. My first two nights in Lima will be in the El Centro district in the Sheraton Lima Hotel (and Casino) (http://www.sheraton.com.pe/). I wonder what is different about blackjack in Peru.......
I was set on staying in the Gran Hotel Bolivar (http://www.granhotelbolivarperu.com/) but thought it might be best if I went with a somewhat smaller culture shock with a Sheraton. I know, I'm a puss. I'll make it count for my last couple of nights!
UPDATE: As you'll see above, the Gran Hotel Bolivar is my night number 3 lodging! Wish me luck!
I was set on staying in the Gran Hotel Bolivar (http://www.granhotelbolivarperu.com/) but thought it might be best if I went with a somewhat smaller culture shock with a Sheraton. I know, I'm a puss. I'll make it count for my last couple of nights!
UPDATE: As you'll see above, the Gran Hotel Bolivar is my night number 3 lodging! Wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
ENTRY #2 - Travel Information
Below is my airline travel information:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Spokane, WA to Seattle, WA
Horizon Air Flight #2249, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009
Seattle, WA to Houston, TX
Continental Air Flight #CO1846, 7:10 am to 1:20 pm
Houston, TX to Lima, Peru
Continental Air Flight #CO590, 4:00 pm to 11:30 pm
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
Lima, Peru to Cusco, Peru
TACA Air Flight #TA9, 10:10 am to 11:30 am
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Cusco, Peru to Lima, Peru
TACA Air Flight #TA10, 12:10 pm to 1:30 pm
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Lima, Peru to Houston, TX
Continental Air Flight #CO591, 12:50 am to 6:21 am
Houston, TX to Seattle, WA
Continental Air Flight #CO1767, 9:40 am to 12:30 pm
Seattle, WA to Spokane, WA
Horizon Air Flight #2240, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
All times provided are local
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Spokane, WA to Seattle, WA
Horizon Air Flight #2249, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009
Seattle, WA to Houston, TX
Continental Air Flight #CO1846, 7:10 am to 1:20 pm
Houston, TX to Lima, Peru
Continental Air Flight #CO590, 4:00 pm to 11:30 pm
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
Lima, Peru to Cusco, Peru
TACA Air Flight #TA9, 10:10 am to 11:30 am
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Cusco, Peru to Lima, Peru
TACA Air Flight #TA10, 12:10 pm to 1:30 pm
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Lima, Peru to Houston, TX
Continental Air Flight #CO591, 12:50 am to 6:21 am
Houston, TX to Seattle, WA
Continental Air Flight #CO1767, 9:40 am to 12:30 pm
Seattle, WA to Spokane, WA
Horizon Air Flight #2240, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
All times provided are local
Sunday, August 30, 2009
ENTRY #1 - A trip to Peru?
What started as a wild idea has now become reality. I booked the travel a little over a week ago, and the planning is underway. At this point, I have all my flights arranged and am looking for a hotel and activities while I'm down there. I'm both excited and scared at the same time, and am looking forward to my journey.
As I expected, I've received a couple of different questions such as why are you going to Peru, and why are you going alone. I try to answer these questions the best I can, but I'm not sure I know myself. I do know, though, that I'm looking forward to the adventure.
I chose Peru because of the contrast it has with the places I've traveled to before, and because I want to experience the differences of the world. In Peru, the people and places are very interesting, and very foreign to me. I have no idea what to expect. I don't speak a lick of Spanish and I don't know how to get from the airport to a hotel. But, I know that I can find a way and that will be part of the adventure.
Secondly, why am I going alone? I'm not expecting this trip to solve anything, I'm not trying to escape anything. I don't have some fantasy that I'll return from this trip and be "cured" from everything that effects me. I do know that there are days when I don't know who I am. The things that used to make me happy don't make my happy any more. The emotions that I feel overwhelm me sometimes, and I can't function like a normal person. This trip isn't some kind of "finding me" trip. It is a chance for me to experience something scary, something new, something where I will not be in complete control of the language, the plan, the purpose. I want to go learn. I want to see the world as other people see it. I want to sit and watch people work, see how others live and find my place in the world. I have no doubt that I have grown up in a sheltered world as we all do in the US. I want to know what the world is like outside of that protection. I hope that this will help me learn about me, and I hope knowing more about me will help me understand how to better appreciate the things in my life.
So, there it is. The planning has began and I'm off! Peru, here I come!
As I expected, I've received a couple of different questions such as why are you going to Peru, and why are you going alone. I try to answer these questions the best I can, but I'm not sure I know myself. I do know, though, that I'm looking forward to the adventure.
I chose Peru because of the contrast it has with the places I've traveled to before, and because I want to experience the differences of the world. In Peru, the people and places are very interesting, and very foreign to me. I have no idea what to expect. I don't speak a lick of Spanish and I don't know how to get from the airport to a hotel. But, I know that I can find a way and that will be part of the adventure.
Secondly, why am I going alone? I'm not expecting this trip to solve anything, I'm not trying to escape anything. I don't have some fantasy that I'll return from this trip and be "cured" from everything that effects me. I do know that there are days when I don't know who I am. The things that used to make me happy don't make my happy any more. The emotions that I feel overwhelm me sometimes, and I can't function like a normal person. This trip isn't some kind of "finding me" trip. It is a chance for me to experience something scary, something new, something where I will not be in complete control of the language, the plan, the purpose. I want to go learn. I want to see the world as other people see it. I want to sit and watch people work, see how others live and find my place in the world. I have no doubt that I have grown up in a sheltered world as we all do in the US. I want to know what the world is like outside of that protection. I hope that this will help me learn about me, and I hope knowing more about me will help me understand how to better appreciate the things in my life.
So, there it is. The planning has began and I'm off! Peru, here I come!
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