Saturday, November 24, 2007

Peru is very Far Away....

...... as evidenced by the almost 20 hours it took to get here.

First the drive to Logan Airport (they make you so fearful you'll miss your flight if you don't go so early). There was not even a line at check in so things went pretty quickly. If it hadn't been for the 20 minutes of frisking at security (every metal grommet on my jeans was carefully inspected) I would have been at the gate before my ride (thank you Michael) got out of the airport. I met up with our Peru Guru Peter at check in - but he flew business class so our socializing was limited to airport connections. No dinner on this 7PM flight mind you - but I wisely purchased a sandwich to take on board.

It was 3.5 hours to Miami, where I connected up with Larry who had gone the day before to enjoy Thanksgiving with his family. He seemed pretty perky, but then he was on a fresh start whereas I already had 6 hours of 'travel' under my belt. Our flight to Lima left at midnight; once we were in the air the FOOD SERVICE started (who doesn't want dinner at 1am?) and the movie. American no longer serves free alcohol on international flights I guess, because a glass of wine was $5. We did manage to sleep - but with the plane landing at 530am there wasn't a lot of time for shut eye. This was the hardest connection - 3.5 hours before boarding our 1.5 hour flight to Cusco. Luckily the Lima airport has some fun shops and great coffee so we survived.
We were met by a porter in the Cusco airport (or Cuzco, there is a very long dissertation by Peter about which is correct or more popular but they are both used interchangeably even within the same paragraph) who somehow knew who we were and helped us get our bags to the street where our transfer guide Juan took over. Nice nice guy with a thick accent who does his job with joy; Juan took us to a spanking clean van where we met our driver Wilson (we are very important people!) Wilson is *also* delightful. At the hotel (a short drive) we chat and go over some maps and local info and agree on the time to meet our guide (yet another person!) tomorrow for our trip to the Sacred Valley. Now I understand all about transfer guides and assistant guides and head guides!

By noon we were settling in to our FABULOUS hotel room at the Libertador in the center of Cusco. And since the coca tea they served at check in successfully revived us we decided to strike out in the neighborhood. We strolled the little streets lined with tiny shops, which invariably lead to large open squares full of industrious children selling cloth dolls, shoe shines, and postcards. Everywhere there are churches and temples. When hunger got us we came back to the Libertador for trout (local, from Lake Titticacca which I cannot figure out how to spell) ceviche. $8 for an *enormous* plate - we each devoured our own plateful. Then we waddled out in another direction to the Plaza de Armas, just a really cool spot with lots happening and amazing views of town life surrounded by sharply rising hills dotted with adobe buildings. Wow, we are really in Peru!
One of the things happening in Plaza de Armas was a torrential downpour. All of our rain gear was back in the hotel; the children evidently dropped the postcards and suddenly appeared with piles of cheap rain ponchos - but we waited for it to clear while enjoying the shops under the covered walkway around the plaza. The search for the 'alpaca factory' almost ruined my day (WHY didn't I write down the address?!?!) because there is no such place with that name but there ARE 5,000 alpaca sweater stores none of which had what I was looking for (this is a long-story favor I promised someone thinking it would be a piece of cake) We did finally find it but now back in our room I read my notes and see she wanted BROWN when I had insisted all day (in a rather whining voice, just ask Larry) it had to be GREY....
This brings me to the effects of altitude which I would like to blame for not only the alpaca sweater fiasco (I'll be exchanging it when we're back here in a couple of days) but the fact we cannot seem to understand each others' meaning when we speak, or even make sense to ourselves. It's kind of funny but we are so tired or spacey or wired or something we can't even quite laugh. Altitude might also be responsible for my insane idea to get adventurous when searching out a bathroom on our wanderings (you really cannot stay 'hydrated' and not need a bathroom). If you dare, read on:
Rather than go into a nice looking hotel or restaurant I went right for the skeevy looking alley with a sign saying PUBLIC BATHROOM where a woman took my 50 centimos (about 15 cents), handed me a wad of toilet paper and pointed me out back to a falling down cinderblock building with several doorways. The one labeled 'hot shower' had a hose stuffed into the closed door. I went for the one other doorway that even had a door. Inside there was a squat toilet in the misdst of such squalor as I have not seen since China. I was desperate by this time though and really had no choice so in the dark managed to complete the task at hand without soaking my feet. BUT, even as I was relived and pulling up my jeans I began to hear growling. Yes indeed, right outside the door was the mangiest fiercest looking dog growling at me. I had to open the door - I was suffocating - but the dog would not let me step outside. I yelled and called for help and no one bothered to come. Finally the dog got bored and moved away and I escaped unscathed. Phew!
At 630p we were trying to figure out what to do next. It was torrential downpouring again (it better not do this on the trek). So we had ceviche again for dinner, along with a quinoa seafood salad and alpaca kebob. The hotel also offers an outstanding looking buffet, and live music in the dining room. It is beautiful here - have clients really ever complained about this place??
Tomorrow it's Hilda and the Sacred Valley. We have to get up at 630am!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Jaaa, jaaa, jaaa... I had to hold my stomach!
I can only imagine what a bathroom episode you had!
Take good care, enjoy and please send my regards to Larry & Peter!

Sole