Hello again all...
The only details Julia missed in the last entry...first, the crazy bums name was Alvaro de Jesus...and it was hard to tell what was a fbrication and what was the truth. I believed it all though...and enjoyed the touch of local life. Also...she got a burn too, and it hurt us BOTH to lug our packs around. The only chance to have a hot shower to date was ruined by the fact that I was showering burnt skin. Ahh well...the advice of sunscreen is good!!
SO...a 5.5hr busride later, we got to San Jose. Got a taxi to our hostel which was quite nice, always cheap even though we simply needed a bed for 8 hours then we were off again. The city is ALways MOVING...cars, taxis, busses, BIG time pollution, and crowded. LIkely not as crowded as many we're yet to see...but, for ourSaskatchewan standards...crowded. We ate at a fancy restaurant (spending 2 dollars more than we needed to) only because the guy insisted the portions were big. Big my ass...I inhaled the noodle I was served, and went to bed hungry haha. Poor little fellow. We were entertained on the patio by a 2 piece band and on the street by a street kid breaking some glass, slicing his arms and proceed to approach people for money all bloody and freaky. Wierd...luckily, this wasn´t to be the first time I needed to try my newly acquired aiquido skills haha. The Costa Rican people...as I observe, are generally a happy people. They have what they need, they all drive, very few of them are pushy or rude...in fact, quite the opposite. The country does not look as rich as it is though...I think...as I get the impression that they would rather relax than work. Good for them...but a funny change from Canada where most things are always cleaned, people are always on the move. They seek peace (no army in Costa Rica), and relaxation, living in small houses...many of which are grungy and poorly kept...many otherwise...but they can be found sitting for HOURS on their front steps...young and old. Also, the young and old have a really good rapport...talking to each other like equals moreso than in Canada I feel, the young being quite independent. I´m not sure about school...but frequently saw kids doing things other than school when school should have been in. ANyway...just my scratch on the surface of what I saw.
Arriving in Peru, Julia was stressed as we were immediately approached by airport people to buy tickets to Cusco. It´s like they know our route. Admitedly, arriving in a country with not much of a plan, not much of the language, and the huge bustle of people hasseling you is the hardest thing to deal with, and the most stressful time. I had the guy march me around the airport (on Julia´s advice) to check the prices at every airline counter. He was telling the truth, and so we bought our ticket to Cusco for 100$ US each. Better than a 40 hour bus ride I guess. We then got a taxi to a part of Lima that is supposed to be safe. The two hostels we wanted no longer existed (old travel book)...but the cabbie took us to one called Inkawasi that was amazing!! Our room for 25$ could easily have gone for 100...the people were nice, the house was amazing all decorated wtih wood and nice furniture, right near the ocean. We walked around, ate some east indian food which was great, walked and walked...went to the ocean and watched the surfers from the cliffs of Lima (incredibly dangerous cliffs!!...100 meters straight down to the freeway, no fencing, frequent landslides), and retired to a movie (tele in our room!!!) and a shower and a good sleep.
Arriving in Cusco, we had made some german friends (two sisters travelling)...spoke frequently of Volker...all good things of course...and split a cab into town. We´re staying at the same hostel with them too, and had dinner with them last night. Nice girls! The town is crazy...SO many people, SUCH small streets, all brick roads, terra-cotta tiled rooves, many incan stones and spanish stonework combined, MANY mayan people who come up to my waist or so, many llamas, much harrassment to try to get us to buy things...and all this experience at 3500 meters above the sea!! We walked around for 4 hours, visited our tour company for the inca trail/manchu pichu hike, got 2 peruvian hamburgers for 1$ (likely made from guiney pig haha) walked the streets and got approched by everyone. I stand out as a tourist...tall, VERY white (although if I took my shirt off to show my burn, they might think I was local...or loco), bald...sort of a tourist dork. Anyway, I bought a few things...and even today am still getting suckered into getting small things. I´d rather give my money for a trade than to beggars though...and their stuff is really quite cheap and beautiful! We went to supper with our german friends, ate mexican and drank huge bottles of beer. At the end, a 6 piece peruvian band came in and livened up the place with some local tunes...making us all smile and jive a bit with them. Flutes, guitar, drums, thouse bamboo pipes...all very cool. A well deserved sleep came after another beer in an 'irish pub'.
Today, Julia and I hiked a long way in town to get our train tickets for Puno (near lake titticacca). We succeded, with that, and then I went to get my first haircut in about 15 years. Strangely enough, it was done by a FLAMING flmaer of a peruvian homosexual. He paid WAY too much attention to a buzz cut that would take the army 1 minute to do...took him 10, and he still missed some. I felt ridiculous, not knowing if I should call him Senor or Senorita...him fondleing my head, and prancing and dancing around brushing me off...but it was worth a laugh! Trying to find our next travel book was another big challenge as they are all over priced here. We did some more window shopping, had an AMAZING pizza (wook clay oven) and pumpkin soup for lunch, and basically chilled in the shops and plazas of Cusco. Tomorrow we will hike a series of ruins as a warm-up to our 4 day hike on the incan trail. Sachsayhuaman (pronouced sexywoman) will be one of the ruins. I plan to take the girls to try guiney pig tonight...I have the place all picked out, and can´t wait to see what rodent tastes like. We´ll pack our bags tonight and get ready for a big hike.
I look forward to the next entry...and especially for hearing from you all too!! It´s really nice to share our travels with our closest friends and family!!
Take care all...T and J
