Today was my first full day in the Land of the Incas, and
I’d love to share it all with you. I woke up at like 2:00 and couldn’t fall
back asleep. I tried to send my girlfriend Teressa (Teri) a love message, but
my phone is all but useless out here. I fell asleep for like a half hour and
then woke up at 6:00 and packed all of my stuff. It was very nice of Felix to
let me stay at his house. Anyways, Felix and I walked down the street and
flagged down the first taxi. I thanked him very much and told him I’d see him
later in my travels. The taxi ride was 7 soles and I got to the bus station at
about 6:45. In line at the bus station, I was talking to these girls from the
U.K. and one of them had been to Dunk Island, Australia. I didn’t make it
there, but I will someday! I got my ticket at a reduced price of 50 soles
(rather than 65 soles) with my ISIC card. The prices are higher today because
it’s New Year’s Eve. Afterward, I was talking with this girl named Amanda.
She’s traveling for 7 months around South America with her boyfriend. They’re
also going to Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. While I still had time, I walked
to the gas station across the street from the bus terminal. The taxi drivers
were pestering me, like always. It’s like “c’mon, I don’t need a ride across
the street.” I got a couple of Red Bulls and a big bottle of water for the bus
ride. I had to use my credit card because I was out of soles and they didn’t
take American money. I was really surprised though that they take credit cards
at the gas stations here. Back at the bus station, I talked with Amanda and her
boyfriend about their travels in Australia and New Zealand. I also recommend
that they visit the catacombs when or if they come back to Lima. At 7:30, we
boarded the bus and they searched my bags. I was assigned an aisle seat, but
the girl sitting next to me was nice enough to trade with me so I could take
photos out the window. Getting through and out of Lima took a very long time
because of heavy traffic. Meanwhile, I was still wondering how I would adapt to
the altitude change, because Lima is practically at sea level and Huancayo is
just short of 11,000 feet, and Prof. Ropp told me that one stretch of the ride
goes higher than 15,000 feet. The ride is 6 hours because of the altitude gain
despite the fact that Lima and Huancayo are only 140 miles apart. About an hour
into the ride, we began driving up into the Andes. They are very steep! Mr.
Hanley once told me “they’re not sissy mountains.” It started getting even more
beautiful as we kept ascending higher into the Andes. I got several very good
photos. I’m still a little jet-lagged, so I took a short nap on the way. The
higher we got, the more interesting the buildings became. Many of them appear
to be made of mud and brick and have to be at least several hundred years old.
It kept getting colder and I fell asleep again. The young lady I told you about
earlier is from Huancayo. She shared her Ritz crackers with me and I gave her
some of my gum. The bus attendant passed out lunch, which was included in the
price of the ride. It was quite good! While I was talking to Amanda’s
boyfriend, Leighton about the fact that I have autism, he told me he’s a
diabetic and needs daily shots of insulin. There’s something about a person
that has a condition like autism or diabetes; it only makes them go even
further to do stuff they love. It’s also remarkable because he’s carrying a
huge thing of insulin and it has to stay cold. When I was younger, everyone
thought I’d be institutionalized my whole life but now I’m happy, healthy, and
seeing this world! We continued to drive through many miles of the Peruvian
countryside, all while seeing goats, cows, and farm fields. At about 3:00, we
finally got to Huancayo. I gave that nice girl sitting next to me a hug, and I
got Leighton’s email. I’m proud of him for living life to the fullest just like
I do. I started to walk and the taxi drivers were after me again. I must say
this is a very interesting and beautiful city. I visited the internet café and
I got a loving email from my girlfriend (mi novia) Teri. I’m so thankful to
have met her! She’s my everything! I also got an email from Mr. Hanley. He told
me about having a machine gun stuck in his face in Hungary when he asked to
have his film hand-inspected. The internet out here is only 1 sol ($0.33) an
hour. In Iceland, I was paying about $5-6! Afterward, I walked into central
Huancayo and searched around for a payphone. One of them took my money, so I
kept searching around. Finally I went to this place called a locutorio and
called Prof. Ropp. He told me to meet him in front of the cathedral in about 15
minutes. Huancayo has a very nice central square with a beautiful cathedral and
a big park.
Some little kids wanted me to buy some candy, but I had no money.
So, I just exercised and relaxed while soaking up Huancayo’s thin atmosphere.
Prof. Ropp showed up and he bought me an ice cream. We took a taxi to his house
and I met his wife and two little girls. Their names are Kiki and Emiko. Prof.
Ropp (whom I’ll call Steve) showed me around the house and offered me a cup of
coca tea, which is used to combat the effects of the changing altitude. An
interesting thing about coca tea is that it can cause a positive test for
cocaine use. I washed my clothes by hand and I played with his kids for awhile;
just like I used to play with Ashley and Jennifer (my two little sisters) when
they were little. I got on the computer for a bit and then fell asleep for
about 4 hours. I don’t seem to feel any altitude sickness, but I’m still
jetlagged. I woke up at 9:00 PM and had dinner. Steve said that he doesn’t stay
up for midnight on New Year’s because in the Japanese culture, the big
celebrations take place on New Year’s Day. For dinner I ate chicken and mashed
potatoes, and had another cup of coca tea. Steve told me that he gave a cup of
coca tea to his brother and that he failed a drug test when applying for a job.
I had some Ritz crackers and Steve then went to bed at about 10:00 PM. He said
I could make a short phone call, so I called Dad and then Teri. She was super
excited to hear from me. I love her so much! She wants to take a watershed
course at a community college and I really encourage her to. She told me that
her ex-husband never wanted her to go to school and things like that, but I
feel different. At about 10:30, I lay down. I played my Nintendo DS and checked
out the photos I’ve taken. I was also listening to the fireworks outside. It’s
a rather quiet New Year’s this year for me because at home I’m usually out with
friends or family, and in Australia I was at the base of the Sydney Opera
House. I was still awake at 1:00 and I was into 2008 before California was.
Happy New Year!!! So, I got up and gave Mr. Hanley a quick call. I’m going to
go to sleep now because I want to see the glacier tomorrow. These fireworks are
still going, but oh well. Good Night.
Today was my second day (mi segundo dia) in Peru. I ended up
sleeping in until 12:30, so I missed the opportunity to go to Huaytapallana
glacier. I washed up and then had some teriyaki chicken and rice. Steve’s
friend, Pamela came over. I’m not used to the custom of kissing females (even strangers)
as a greeting that exists here in Peru. I played with Steve’s kids for a bit
and then decided to go out and explore. I had no money, so I exchanged some
with Steve. He told me about a traditional Andean market a few blocks away, so
I set out. I got a Red Bull at a small store and I noticed the owner’s daughter
lining up bottle caps on the sidewalk.
People out here always have something to
do; they’re never bored. That’s one reason people are so happy here. I then
walked to the open-air market. There were people selling vegetables, potatoes,
and rice. I really felt like I was in another world, because I was the only
tourist. I got a banana and a bottle of water and got some photos of the
various products for sale. The locals dress conservatively and colorfully, and
dogs roam the streets. Other products I noticed for sale are chilies, bananas,
toys, football (soccer) jerseys, and all that stuff.
I spent about an hour at
the market and then walked back to Steve’s house. I wanted to go get a bus ticket
and change some money. I ate a little bit more and then went with Steve and
Kiki (his little girl) to downtown. Most of the currency exchange places were
closed, but we found one that was open. I exchanged $40 so I have money for the
trip to Cuzco. We then took a bus to another place and got an ice cream
(helado) and walked the rest of the way. At one point I picked up a rock and
heaved it like 60 feet toward of a metal drum full of water and made it! Talk
about a prayer! When we got to the bus station, the desks for the Ayacucho bus
were not open, and the only departures listed were night buses. I prefer to
take the bus during the day because I get to see more and I hear it’s safer.
But, I figured that if I have to leave at night, then so be it. We took a colectivo
taxi back to Steve’s house and it was only one sol. It’s amazing how cheap the
taxis are out here because gasoline is even more expensive out here than back
home. I think it’s because people aren’t so “money hungry” out here like they
are in L.A. People tend to care more about others out here. Back at the house,
we looked in my guidebook, and Steve’s wife made a call for me. I found that
there’s a bus tomorrow at 7:00 AM. So, I’ll have to get up very early tomorrow.
I wanted to get my hair cut, but we walked to the place and it was closed.
Steve also told me about a good place to get photos of the city, so we caught a
taxi to where near the bus stop was and did a bit of walking. Steve’s older
daughter Emiko joined us this time. I got a photo of an old train at the
Huancayo train station. Steve was telling me that the train from Huancayo to
Huancavelica is among the highest in the world. I then saw a stand with a lady
selling beef heart kabobs. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, but Steve said
they’re actually quite good. Maybe I’ll try one later in my trip. We then
caught a bus up to the area I was talking about earlier. The area was very
impoverished and was a perfect example of a Latin American barrio, which is
what we call the “ghetto” back home. I got a bottle of water and we started
walking. It was raining, so it was a good thing I packed my raincoat. We walked
all the way to these unusual rock formations. They look like carvings of some
sort. Steve then told me that “Huancayo” means “place of rocks.” My boots were
all muddy and my camera got a little wet, but I was really enjoying my time
here. This is also a great place to go because it’s very cheap! It was getting
dark out and we began walking back as the lights of Huancayo started to shine.
It is a very pretty city! I got a bit tired because the air is thinner. Steve
told me that he feels the altitude change when he climbs stairs and things like
that. We took the bus back to Steve’s house. One thing I noticed is that people
will actually sit next to others on the bus, as opposed to there being one
person in each seat until the bus is full. People also bring their dogs on the
bus as well. We got off a few blocks from Steve’s house and I stopped for a Red
Bull and some Ritz crackers. Today, I spent a total of about $8; far less than
I’d spend in many other places. For dinner I had some teriyaki chicken, mashed
potatoes, and a cup of chai tea. For awhile I just relaxed and played my
Nintendo DS. One advantage about a long trip like this one is that I get to
relax a bit more instead of traveling around like a maniac like I did in Costa
Rica. I then emailed everyone and I was a bit upset because I only got two
responses to my email that I sent in Lima. I had a cup of coca tea and then
Steve went to sleep. Teri emailed me back saying I sounded angry, but I could
never be upset at her. I love her too much! It’s that all of my friends tell me
they’re busy, but they should at least take two minutes to email me. I tried to
call Teri, but she wasn’t answering. I’ll have to call her in Cuzco. I surfed
the net for awhile and then went to lie down. I have a long bus ride tomorrow
and I have to be up at 5:15. See you in Ayacucho!
