From Peru: travel facts and thoughts

I am here! I finally made it to Peru...and the story of getting here was another complicated one!

Monday morning Lorenzo and I toursed the Old Blacksburg, then I left VA Tech and went to visit the Natural Bridge and then drove through Shenandoa National Park for a bit, it was great...but it got late. By the time I returned the rented car and got on a bus from Dulles Airport into D.C. it was 9.30 pm. The bus ride made me think. I waas the only non-airport worker on that bus, and the only white person. As I sat on the bus with people speaking languages I can't even name, I wondered why I was feeling so uneasy, while the same experience in London would make me excited to be there, and I felt the difference between me and "them" as I had in few other occasions. There was a sign on the bus saying 180 out of every 100,000 D.C. residents have AIDS, compared to 15/100,000 nationwide. I started thinking for the millionth time about the chances of birth and I fully realised that my committment to this abstract concept of social justice is more than anything my desire to see the world.

I got off the bus and took the metro to Irina's place. knowing full-well about D.C.'s crime rates, I decided to walk home from the metro station, alone at 11pm, with 2 heavy bags. The walk was longer than I expected, but I tought it was safe enough as there were a few people in the streets. Untill I turned left instead of right and heard a lot of police sirens. After a year in Camden I tought nothing about it and kept walking in that direction. Then I started hearing gunfire, there was a shooting a block away from me, and the way time elapses in moments like that, it lasted for hours, or probably seconds. Thankfully there was a gas station near there where a few taxis were filling up, so I got one to drive me to Irina's place. The driver basically asked me if I was insane to be walking alone at night in that area, especially not knowing the city. The entire next day I was nervous just being in the street, and went from museum, to cafe, to cafe.
I'm sad I understand so clearly teh "white flight" and urban sprawl...

The trip to Peru was not completely uneventful either. Of course I went to the wrong airport in D.C., and had to pay a fine to change flights. As my dad wisely said--I wonder why airline companies are not all making a profit, with all the money we donate to them.
Then the Lima-Cusco was delayed 5 hours, because of a technical problem with the plane: they had to wait for a new one to come, so I was in Lima airport from midnight to 10:30 am.
The landing in Cusco is probably the most beautiful landing I've eer seen. This is rain season (it is pouring right now), so the we flew above this grey layer of clouds, and when we emerged underneath it was all green mountains with little winding roads carved in the sides, and Cusco's red roofs. My camera doesn't work properly, but there is no way pictures could do it justice (You'll simply have to come see it for yoursefl!).

Cusco is 3300 mt above sea level, so the air is thinner, and some people suffer from altitude sickenss. I hadn't even got out from the plane that I saw this young man almost fainting...fortunately the altitude doesn't bother me at all, I didn't even need the oxygen bombs they have ready for fainty tourists! I love mountains :)

I walked out of the airport and Maricarmen wasn't there. Of course I didn't have her phone number with me, so I hadn't called to let her know the flight was delayed, and I couldn't get in touch with her. If anyone knows how I manage in my complete disorganization, let me know! I socialised with all the porters and other airport workers, who helped me find the number while suggesting that I should let them carry my bags and pay them for it or I'd get altitude fatigue sickness...

Eventually she arrived (she had already mistakenly come yesterday and then this morning at 7 am), and I really like her. I think we'll work well together. We came to her house, which is my new home too, and it's a really beautiful house. It's on 3 floors but not very big, and my room is tiny (much smaller than the one in London--I didn't think it possile either!). Fortunately I had a bunch of foldable furniture in my suitcase! I'll post pictures of the house and the great view from here. There are lots of windows, including in the bathroom. One window is really cool, 'cause you can see the sky while you shower, the other not so cool, 'cause people can see you while you pee...

And of course I need to talk about food. Based on lunch it's great! (So worry not about bringing your own past supplies ;) )...corn on the cob, but white, and the mais seeds are about 4 times as big as teh ones we know, and lots of potatoes cooked in all ways. I'll learn and reproduce the cooking. And the reassuring news: high speed internet at home and excellent skype connection! Because I already miss you...

Buying a bottle of wine & other American stories

Yesterday morning (I think it was actually afternoon by the time we got our act together and left), Lorenzo took me to visit the Cascades, a beautifull waterfall about half an hour drive from Virginia Tech and a 2 mile hike through Thomas Jefferson forest. It was really beautiful, the woods were full of snow and ice (on which I fell repeatedly to no surprise for those who know me). It wasn't too cold and we took our time walking and looking at all the snow and ice and wood nature-made sculptures. I finally figured out a way to post photo albums, so I have pictures from our trip to the Cascades, and I added photo albums to the previous two posts. I was pretty shocked to see the really impoverished town of Cascades, leading to the forest. Almost all the houses were pre-built and carried there, but quite a few were actual containers, comparable to lower-middle class Costa Rican houses. Anyway, given the embarassing political situation in Italy, I will refrain here from expressing my views on poverty in the US.

We got back to Blacksburg and Lorenzo wanted to buy a bottle of Virginia wine so I could try it. I was so nervous as I went to pay for our bottle of overpriced Virginia Pinot Grigio, while Lorenzo pretended to wonder around the supermarket not knowing me. I was, after all, breaking the law, providing my 18-year-old brother with an alcoholic beverage! (If only they knew he's a ciucatun [Piedmontese for drunkard] who's been drinking since age 4!). We met in the car 5 minutes later, feeling like accomplished criminals.

Cascades and around

Last night we watched "Dan in real life", a nice comedy...and then went to a French Club house party with a couple of Lory's friends, a perfect blend between French and American: baguette, real French cheese, wine, beirut (or beer pong, as these Virginia Tech whimps call it--and they play with only 6 cups!), and sufficient drunkness. It was a lot of fun.

This morning after Church, Chris' mom and stepdad took us to brunch in my new favourite Blacksburg diner (the pancake place) where I had gritt and biscuit--the biscuit is salty and the gritt is a sort of salty porridge. And pancakes of course.

Back in the USA (Pancakes and all)

After about a year and a half I'm back, and I was surprised to see how many things about this country I had forgotten. The flight went surprisingly well, given my intrinsic dislike of transatlantic flights; to get me in the mood for my week in the States, before leaving London I had lunch at the airport with Stefano and Anya and had a "no-bread sandwich", which in the old days was also known as a salad. The English can be incredibly American some times. The girl sitting next to me on the plane was reading this massive book titled "7 attitudes of successful people"...God bless America!

I landed in D.C. and Irina, Anya's friend I had met at graduation, picked me up. We went to get my rented car, but as they had run out of small cars they gave me this massive red jeep! We stopped at a grocery store and for the second time (after the car) I was surprised at how huge everything is. I spent the night at Irina's place which is really nice and central, and I'll be back there monday night. As I was getting ready for bed I realised I had lost my glasses, probably forgotten them in the bathroom at the airport...sometimes I wonder how I manage to travel the world alone...

I tried to get in touch with Lorenzo to tell him I'd arrived, but of course he was unreachable. Yesterday morning I managed to talk to him and left Irina's house in my jeep. I drove to Virginia Tech and, surprisingly for anyone who's seen my driving or had to deal with my sense of direction, I managed to get here withouth getting lost or crashing. My trip was full of surprises about this country I've apparently forgotten everything about: first of all the speed limits! It's safe, I know, but it took me for ever to get here! Also, the cost of gas: I went to fill up and pre-paid $40, only to realise that the jeep gets filled with $26! "Sweet"! (I'm working on getting my American accent back ;) ). The drive was beautiful and I learned to appreciate country music on the drive...or it might be that jet lag and the tiredness from driving significantly impaired my judgement abilities!
I thought I was going to come to the warm South: wrong! It started snowing on my way here, and hasn't been above 0 C since I arrived.

I arrived to Virginia Tech and met my brother Lorenzo. I'm so happy to see him and his school. He lives in the international dorm, of course, and I met some of his friends. These southerners are quite friendly and the students here look very different from UNH (not so much of a greek population). The campus is beautiful and last night I had the honor to eat at a College dining hall! Then I slept 12 hours to recover from jet lag...

This morning I went to a proper American diner and had a lovely breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup...downtown Blacksburg is very nice.

Virginia Tech

To all the London I'll miss

London is the place for me, e' la mia patria (and here I apologise to those who haven't heard or cannot appreciate my lovely British accent in Italian). It's an amazing city and I will miss it. I will miss the people I'm leaving here, waking up in the morning with my brother Stefano telling me how great it is to have me here, (terrone) dinners with friends and singing Italian songs I don't know (and the few I've learned). I'll miss walking on Waterloo bridge in the evening and looking from the City to the London Eye (in the wind and rain) and thinking "this is why I am in London". I might even end up missing the lopsided stairs of the LSE library!

These few days here have been wonderful, I am so happy I came--and I know I want to come back. I couldn't have received a better goodbye from my friends, I couldn't ask for better friends. I even met up with a friend from elementary school whom I hadn't seen since we were 10, who is studying in London. Seems like everybody ends up here!

Now I'll attempt to organize my luggage and pack everything I left with Stefano in London.

London

(Thinking about) trip preparations

I’m ready. I’m excited. I’m scared. Of course I haven’t even started packing—I’m one of those travel snobs, the ones who pack their bags the same day of their flight and leave home for the airport when they should already be at the airport. Of course I usually forget to pack most important things and typically almost faint from running to my plane, but I (almost) always make it.

Tonight Miguel and his wife—a Peruvian couple who’s been living in Torino for over 10 years, and have known my grandmother that long—came to tell me about their country. Miguel’s wife is Cusqueña, and they are both so proud and enthusiastic about their country, I think I’m gonna love it! There is this magical aura in Cusco, they say: the archaeological and historical capital of Latin America, cultural and religious celebrations, dancing, nature, nightlife, welcoming people, incredible diversity and terrible inequality. Their whole family is waiting for me, they want me to get in touch as soon as I arrive so they can keep an eye on me and make sure I behave, the grandmother is about to start cooking for me! It makes me feel so safe to know I’ll have a point or reference there. They also have family in Bolivia, which I simply HAVE to visit… sounds like it’s gonna be tough ;)

The word is spreading here in Turin about volunteering in Peru, and one volunteer has already signed up to come from March to May, while others are planning to come in the summer. I’ve been posting flayers at the Universities, and telling people…apparently it’s full of people who want to join me in my crazy ventures around the world!

I’m trying to say good-bye to friends and family these days, but there is no such thing as a proper good-bye. The next couple weeks are going to be interesting and filled with improper good-byes.

Thursday—my last day in Italy—is my mom’s birthday. TANTI AUGURI MAMMINA!

Pre-departure ramblings

Last year, as I tried to decide whether I wanted to stay in London or if I should go and see the world, whether I wanted to stay close to my family and friends in the most amazing city I’ve ever been, or if I should follow my self-fabricated destiny, when I still thought the choice was mine and not a matter of welcoming what came my way, I wrote:

Voglio vedere il lago Titicaca, scoprire come vivono gli Inca nelle Ande, voglio ballare al suono della musica Senegalese, esplorare la foresta tropicale del Rwanda? O voglio sentire nostalgia della Costa Rica ogni giornata di sole di profumo di mango, voglio scacciare il mal d’Africa ogni volta che vedo una foto di una strada polverosa di vita reale?

[Which roughly translates to “Do I want to see lake Titicaca, discover how the Incas live in the Andes, do I want to dance to the sound of Senegalese music, explore Rwanda’s tropical forest? Or do I want to miss Costa Rica every sunny mango perfumed day, do I want to send away my Africa-sickness every time I see a picture of a dusty road of real life?"]

I guess somewhat I already knew.

I am moving again, to another unknown and yet partly predictable place. At the end of January I’ll arrive in Peru—after stopping in London and D.C./Virginia to visit my brothers—and I’ll spend a year there. I’ll be working for Paititi, a small development project stemmed out of a travel company; it is just starting up and will become an NGO in February. I’ll be the volunteer coordinator—I’ll let you know what exactly that means when I find out. I’m going to try to recruit volunteers from different countries to come and work in rural communities around the city of Cusco (in the mountains) and Pilcopata, the village at the entrance of Manu National Park, supposedly one of the areas with the greatest biodiversity in the world.

This is the website of the organisation I’ll work for if you want to check it out. My moment of glory is my misspelled name on the homepage, otherwise the Volunteering section talks more about what I’ll be doing.

According to the Inca tradition, in the 12th century the Sun god asked his son Manco Capac, the first Inca, to find the navel of the world: the spot where he’d be able to sink the golden stick his father had given him all the way into the ground as a sign of fertility. When Manco Capac finally discovered this place he founded the city of Cusco: Qosq’o in the indigenous Quechua language means “navel”. The title of my blog ‘L’Ombelico del Mondo’ means ‘The Navel of the World’ in Italian. It's also the title of a song by Jovanotti, and I couldn't resist the temptation to post it here...enjoy!

I’m going to write in English for all the obvious reasons, and you will hopefully forgive my occasional digressions in Italian/Spanish, as a few of the people I would most want to read this won’t be able to understand it.

I watched Pocahontas a few days ago, and John Smith says something along the lines of “I’ve seen so many new worlds, what could possibly be different about this one?”; through this blog I’ll try to tell you what is new about this one, by showing you what I see, and introducing you to the people I meet.
I hope I made the right decision to go, I hope the people and places I’ll get to know and everything I will learn, discover and see will make up for everyone and everything I will miss. And I hope you’ll come and visit me.