bouncing back... to peru

At four am I got up on April 1st to catch my plane to Lima. It is always a challenge to dress appropriately for transitions. Bundled in my warmest clothes I happily headed south to 85 degree sunshine.

First on our agenda in Lima was to take cate of machu picchu tickets. They went from non existent to sold out very quickly when it reopened. Through my guide book (everyone traveling thinks they are mis-guide books) we found Olga who informed us that there were tickets for one day only, round trip on the seventh. We paid, overpaid, in cash and were told to puck up tix at the office in cusco on the fifth. Leap of faith, but Olga seemed honest.

We left Olga in seach of lunch. Arriving at La Mar at 230 there were no tables available and quite a line. This did not bode well for hunger but created an expectation for the palate that was well met. Oh my god... The food was so good I am returning to Lima just to eat again! Thanks to Peter Doane for the hook up!

That night we met up with Paulina for some beverages. Next day we met my friends Paola & Jacob for sushi buffet. Also very delicious! Then off to cusco!

We spent Easter Sunday watching a military parade and hiking in the temple of the moon area. I had been before with my class. I should post my writing of that experience after this. So much for chronology. Mickey and I had a nice amble under clouds and blue skies. We,too, walked along a road thousands of years old. I showed her the temples of monkey and moon. It was a lovely arrival back to cusco.

Monday afternoon we went to the office for our tickets. Not there, but no worries, Sr Lizandro will have them at the hotel at 6 pm. Or not. Tuesday we went to Ollentaytambo to see ruins and visit with a BGI applicant who lives here working with a group of women weavers. Awamaki was an impressive vision of Kennedy's and after three years it is doing amazing work. This iswhy I love my job. So inspiring: the people I encounter!

We had Kennedy (with her VERY fluent Spanish) call Olga and Sr Lizandro as our supposed tix were for the next day. At 7 pm a very nice guy came and explained that we would leave at 330 am for the bus to catch the train. On the eighth. Wrong date! Some hurried calls and no worries, tomorrow we leave at 330. They will have our tickets then. Okay....

AND- it was amazing and super fun. We met a sweet Canadian woman and the three of us giggled our way through a tour. Being with people allowed me to be my silly self and we took photos of me swooning on rocks, glamour shots through ancient windows and mimicing the llama. Good times!

As we were heading back to the train we paused by the river. I can easily imagine after being here during the rainy season how powerful and damaging the floods must have been. The river was fierce! Just as I moved to capture it on video, my batteries died. Thankfully the end of the day!

We returned home, exhausted, quick dinner and sleep.

Thursday after breakfast we sought out the perfect place for Mickey to get her new tattoo. A beautiful Puma now covers a faded mickey mouse. This was my third friend to get a tattoo in Cusco with me alongside. From my perspective it looked painful but Mickey bore it well!!

Friday morning at 6 am Mickey left just as dawn was breaking and my twenty days of companionship from home came to an end. In a way it made being on my own a little more daunting. For the moment.

That night- direct bus to La Paz, another to Uyuni and my long anticipated tour of the salt flats!


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