Peru Day 2 - Lima

Forgot to mention a few things one must know about traveling in Peru.

1 - always carry tissue or a 1/2 roll or toilet paper in your pocket or pack. The bathrooms here usually have no paper, and you're actually quite lucky if there is a seat on the toilet! Many times you have to squat and hover, and you never put the paper in the toilet - always in the little bin on the floor. Yes - always!

2 - had my first Pisco Sour yesterday. Is the drink of Peru but Chili and Peru each claim at their own and that theirs is best. I don't know about the Chilean version but I LOVE the Peruvian ones. Most restaurants offer one free one with dinner.

3 - there are internet cafes everywhere and for about 4 soles an hour you can get access. (that's about $1.30/hr)

Now, on to day 2, Friday September 14th. Had to move to another room at the Hostal today. Michele is arriving tonight now. Jenni is flying out to Cusco ahead of us to get set up there.

My day started with a freezing cold shower, there was no hot water. Didn't do much today, we all had coffee and lunch then Jenni was off. Washi was missing so she took a taxi herself to the airport. We found out later he was sick the night before and did go to the airport last night and waited for Michele. Poor Washi!

For lunch I had asparagus soup and tacos especiale (beef, chicken, sausages and beans). They make good Mexican food in Peru. The garlic sauce is pure garlic and is to die for!

I had a nap in the afternoon. I hit a wall finally and had to just rest. Feeling very positive about doing well physically at the high altitude in Cusco. I will be 100% fine, I have just decided.

So here is my second room at Hostal el Patio. I didn't have a peep hole, I had a "peep window" LOL.

QUOTE: "The world is a book. Those that do not travel, read only one page" author unknown.

Learned a lot about Diana and Washi today. Diana and Jenni have traveled a LOT, done some scary things, been to many spiritual places. They seem fearless - my heroes! Next year they are adding trips to Nepal and Diana is going there on October 23rd with her husband. She invited Washi along and said she'd pay for his trip. He was like "are you serious" with his cute Spanish accent. She was - and he's going! He was over the moon, he said he's always dreamed of going there. Rob is completely jealous. Is on my list now too. Red Lotus adds it to the repertoire for 2008, and I'm SO there. I also found out I know Jenni's fiance, Greg Masuda, who's a photographer in Calgary and used to be a Queensberry client of mine.

For fund raising between Diana, Jenni and myself we have almost $3000 US in cash, plus we each brought a huge bag of school supplies. I'll be so glad when we can give all that away and not have to haul it around.

Diana and I did a bit of shopping today. I did some on my own and I helped her get a top for Jenni - we're about the same size, so I had to try it on. Do you have any idea how hard that is when you're wearing 4 tops and a jacket and have a backpack on too? Not fun, let me tell you! But I did manage to buy a cute pair of slip on cowboy pseudo boots, and a very bling bling pair of latina jeans. When in Lima . . .

Here's Diana buying a pair of fuzzy boots for 60 Soles ($20)
It was like boot heaven! Why didn't I get a pair again???

Here are some street scenes from Miraflores area in Lima. I did some walking around and noticed that there are a lot of people kissing in the parks there always! Made me miss Rob even more. He could text message me on my phone for free but I couldn't reply. That was kinda weird but good to be connected to him somehow.








Had a weird allergic reaction of some kind to something I ate for dinner and my throat was all scratchy. Cleared it with Calli tea and more Sunrider foods. Had picarones for dessert. Is a kind of donut made from fried yams served with chancaca (a very sweet cane syrup).

Diana and Washi and I set up the other 2 rooms with t-shirts, candies and candles for the other ladies arriving tonight. Then I hit the sack and they went to the airport at midnight. Michelle snuck in about 2am or something and we ended up talking for about an hour. She had quite the journey and I warned her she'd be freezing at night so she wore her toque to bed. There was very load music playing from some bar down the street so we had trouble falling asleep. Thank god for my iPod and relaxation audios!